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Curtis McEwen, an IT professional facing federal wire fraud charges, is set to take a plea deal in court, filings this week show.
In charges filed last month, the DOJ alleged the now former IT director for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities manufactured false expense reports and employee invoices to redirect millions to his own pockets at Saber Healthcare, where he worked for nearly two decades before being fired in March 2023.
He was hired months after by Cuyahoga County, which has previously said background checks and employer reference calls revealed no reasons to be concerned. He was asked to resign the day charges were filed and did so.
Court documents released on Tuesday show that McEwen agreed to a plea deal to two counts and was released under an unsecured bond of $20,000. On release, he had to surrender his passport, get a mental health evaluation and is barred from obtaining any new lines of credit.
According to the July indictment, from 2014 to 2023, McEwen allegedly "falsely represented" on expense reports that he had paid contracted companies for "IT-related products and services." He then, the Feds say, created imitation invoices to "substantiate his payments."
McEwen allegedly siphoned $80,006 to $182,808 for each monthly invoice, and rerouted that money intended for third party companies into his own assets, which grew to include a mansion, a $11,000 2017 BMW R Nine T motorcycle, a $15,000 2020 Ducati Diavel 1260 bike, a Rolex Submariner, a $44,000 Ressense Antwerp watch, a $10,000 Luminor Panerai Automatic Power Reserve watch and more.
McEwen's allegedly long stint of wire fraud at Saber didn't apparently extend to his IT work at the county.
"As a public entity," a spokesperson told Scene in July, "we have many safeguards in place to ensure fiscal responsibility. We have reviewed all relevant records and are confident that our safeguards worked.”
McEwen should be sentenced in federal court sometime this fall.
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In charges filed last month, the DOJ alleged the now former IT director for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities manufactured false expense reports and employee invoices to redirect millions to his own pockets at Saber Healthcare, where he worked for nearly two decades before being fired in March 2023.
He was hired months after by Cuyahoga County, which has previously said background checks and employer reference calls revealed no reasons to be concerned. He was asked to resign the day charges were filed and did so.
Court documents released on Tuesday show that McEwen agreed to a plea deal to two counts and was released under an unsecured bond of $20,000. On release, he had to surrender his passport, get a mental health evaluation and is barred from obtaining any new lines of credit.
According to the July indictment, from 2014 to 2023, McEwen allegedly "falsely represented" on expense reports that he had paid contracted companies for "IT-related products and services." He then, the Feds say, created imitation invoices to "substantiate his payments."
McEwen allegedly siphoned $80,006 to $182,808 for each monthly invoice, and rerouted that money intended for third party companies into his own assets, which grew to include a mansion, a $11,000 2017 BMW R Nine T motorcycle, a $15,000 2020 Ducati Diavel 1260 bike, a Rolex Submariner, a $44,000 Ressense Antwerp watch, a $10,000 Luminor Panerai Automatic Power Reserve watch and more.
McEwen's allegedly long stint of wire fraud at Saber didn't apparently extend to his IT work at the county.
"As a public entity," a spokesperson told Scene in July, "we have many safeguards in place to ensure fiscal responsibility. We have reviewed all relevant records and are confident that our safeguards worked.”
McEwen should be sentenced in federal court sometime this fall.
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
