A Tacoma man, John Whisenant, has been sentenced to 142 months in prison for wire fraud after embezzling over $2 million from his employer and evading authorities before sentencing. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Lauren King, who remarked on Whisenant's history of crime and the severe financial impact on the victim company.
Whisenant was arrested in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in March 2024. Before his scheduled sentencing in July 2024, he informed his pretrial services officer via email that he was not ready to go to jail. Despite efforts to avoid capture, the FBI apprehended him on August 14, 2024.
"This was a sophisticated fraud scheme motivated by greed," said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. "Mr. Whisenant bought Porsches and Mercedes and $23,000 airline tickets. He dealt a devastating blow to the company that employed him."
Court records reveal that Whisenant began working at an online used car sales company in October 2018 and was promoted about a year later to a position with access to bank accounts and accounting software. From June 2019 until November 2021, he conducted 57 wire transfers totaling over $2 million into personal accounts under false pretenses.
Whisenant used the embezzled funds for luxury purchases including high-end cars like Porches, Mercedes, an Audi E-Tron, and a Tesla; rented luxury homes; and purchased expensive airline tickets. Over $1 million went towards credit card debts.
The fraud came to light when a bookkeeper reviewed the company's finances in January 2022, leading to Whisenant's abrupt resignation in February of that year. When confronted by authorities, he attempted to shift blame onto the company's CEO.
Prosecutors highlighted the severe impact on the company’s finances and its largest shareholder during sentencing discussions. Initially recommending a seven-year sentence prior to his absconding, prosecutors later sought ten and a half years due to his actions while evading arrest.
This conviction marks Whisenant's second federal fraud offense following a previous wire fraud sentence in 2017 alongside various state convictions for credit card and check fraud crimes over two decades.
Whisenant has agreed to repay $2,084,779 as restitution for his crimes. The case was investigated by the FBI with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.
