South Plainfield Man Admits To Embezzling $2.37M From Employer

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ —On Thursday in federal court, a South Plainfield man admitted he led a six-year scheme to embezzle $2.37 million from his employer while he was the company’s controller, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Gerard Beauzile, 60, South Plainfield, pleaded guilty in Trenton federal court to one count of wire fraud.

He has not been sentenced yet, but he is facing up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 15. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.

Beauzile worked for a New York City-based company, which was not named by U.S. Attorneys.

Federal prosecutors say that from 2014 through December 2020, Beauzile used his position as controller of the firm to write fraudulent company checks to himself.

Over that six-year period, Beauzile issued approximately 140 company checks to himself with a total value of $2.37 million.

Prosecutors say Beauzile was able to conceal the theft from the company by falsely entering the fraudulent checks into the company’s accounting system under various company vendor names. He also falsified vendor invoices and company bank statements by removing and altering opening, running and closing balances, check payment entries, summary check listings and inter-account transfers.