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Eric Ian Whitehead, 53, of Smithtown, used wire transfers and cash deposits from the company to benefit himself without authorization from the company, Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday, Dec. 22.
“As he admitted in court today, Eric Ian Whitehead exploited his position of trust as comptroller of a publishing company to embezzle more than $1 million from the company," Strauss said. "Now he awaits sentencing for his admitted theft.”
According to the Information and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:
From at least in or around 2015 through in or around 2020, Whitehead used company assets to:
- pay for personal credit card expenses,
- overpay personal credit cards to receive cash balance refunds,
- write checks to cash for deposit into personal bank accounts,
- and purchase precious metals to sell for his own profit.
Whitehead consistently embezzled company funds from in or around 2015 through in or around 2020, for a total loss amount of approximately $1.3 million, Strauss said.
The specific name of the company was not released.
Whitehead pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced on Friday, April 9, 2021.
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