An accountant and former attorney was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison without parole for embezzling more than $69,000 from a business client.
Christopher Lucas, 44, of Overland Park, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday on charges of wire fraud. The court also ordered Lucas to pay $69,032 in restitution.
Lucas pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Aug. 5, 2008 and admitted that he participated in a scheme to defraud Mills & Sons Construction from May 1, 1999, through April 11, 2005. Lucas embezzled funds that were intended to pay the personal and business taxes of the construction company and its owner. He caused the funds to be wire-transferred to his personal bank account instead of the Internal Revenue Service.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown and was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
