James Montoya, a 55-year-old former federal employee from Lakewood, Colorado, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for defrauding the U.S. government of more than $1 million. He will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay restitution totaling $1,122,009.47.
Montoya worked at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) office in Lakewood, which is part of the Department of the Interior (DOI). According to court documents, DOI officials discovered irregular transactions on Montoya’s government charge card during a routine review aimed at identifying misuse. Investigators found that Montoya had hidden improper purchases over several years by submitting altered receipts and fictitious invoices to claim they were for IT-related goods or services. In reality, he provided no such items or services to USGS; many purchases were for personal use, including vintage toys and car parts.
The fraudulent activities spanned about fifteen years, beginning around December 2008 and continuing through at least November 2023. The total loss to the government was approximately $1,122,009.47.
“Stealing from the federal government is stealing from hard-working American taxpayers,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Our office will vigorously prosecute these types of crimes on behalf of American taxpayers.”
“Our investigative staff used data analytics and ingenuity to identify this longstanding, ongoing scheme, which defrauded American taxpayers out of over $1 million over many years,” said U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Katherine Balestra. “The judgment in this case is a strong deterrent for others looking to perpetuate this type of scheme."
United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sonia Dave.
Case Number: 24-cr-248-PAB
