When people in Florida and across the country are accused of a federal crime, especially one that could result in a lengthy prison sentence if convicted, they may feel overwhelmed with the situation that they face. In fact, such may have been the case for a husband and wife in another state who were accused of embezzling from the federal government. Reports indicate that the two chose to plead guilty to the charges.
The case involves a 63-year-old man and his 53-year-old wife. According to reports about the case, the man worked in the Directorate of Public Works at a military base, specifically as a purchasing agent in the operations and maintenance division. Federal law enforcement officers say that he was deliberately steering contracts for the purchases of supplies to specific vendors.
The vendors would then in return, according to reports, provide gifts and cash payments. Additionally, the man is accused of inflating the prices for the supplies. The cash is said to have been paid to his wife. Both recently pleaded guilty to receiving bribes and conspiracy to embezzlement funds; the husband also pleaded guilty to an additional charge of embezzlement.
The husband and wife, who are set to be sentenced in Jan. 2021, face sentences of 15 years and five years, respectively. They agreed to pay $6.3 million in restitution. Unfortunately, cases involving accusations of white collar crimes, including embezzlement, can be complicated and result in lengthy sentences if convicted. As such, Florida defendants in such cases must carefully weigh the evidence in the case and will sometimes choose to plead guilty if they — in conjunction with guidance from an experienced attorney — determine that there is sufficient evidence to convict, even if they are not guilty of the charges of which they are charged.