Woodbridge Man Going to Prison for Embezzlement Scheme

A Woodbridge man was sentenced Monday to more than two years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to embezzle more than $1 million from a consulting firm.

In a federal court in Greenbelt, Md., U.S. District Judge George Hazel sentenced Brian Hooper, 42, to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit wire fraud, according to a statement from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Hazel also entered an order that Hooper forfeit and pay restitution of $1,031,571.96.

Leonard Smedley II, 35, of Capitol Heights, Md.; Amber Gayleard, 29, of Schuylkillhaven, Pa.; and Janice McCumbie, 45, of Marydel, Md., previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Smedley was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $910,490. Gayleard was sentenced to 21 months and ordered to pay restitution of $217,695.57. McCumbie is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12.

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According to Hooper’s plea agreement, co-defendant McCumbie worked for a global consulting business that had offices in Maryland and elsewhere, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Clients paid large retainers to secure consulting services. The firm would issue refund checks to the clients in certain circumstances, including when a client’s retainer exceeded the amount of work the company actually performed or when the client made duplicate payments. McCumbie’s duties included coordinating client refunds.

In 2008, Hooper introduced McCumbie to a co-conspirator, who was not a client. Between June and December 2008, McCumbie caused the consulting company to issue six fraudulent refund checks totaling $121,081.22 to the co-conspirator in exchange for a share of the check proceeds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The co-conspirator shared the proceeds from five of these fraudulent checks with Hooper and McCumbie.

In 2009, Hooper introduced McCumbie to Smedley, who also was not a client, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. From February 2009 to October 2013, McCumbie caused the consulting company to issue 42 false refund checks totaling $910,490.74 to Smedley in exchange for Smedley sharing the check proceeds with Hooper and McCumbie.