A federal grand jury has indicted Microsoft’s former director of Sports Marketing and Alliances for allegedly trying to create fake invoices for up to $1.4 million, according to the DOJ.
The indictment alleges that Jeff Tran tried to route fake invoices through two Microsoft vendors and that he scalped Super Bowl tickets Microsoft acquired through its Surface tablet partnership with the NFL.
Tran was one of the people responsible for Microsoft’s relationship with the NFL.
Microsoft executive allegedly attempted to embezzle $1.5 million https://t.co/QFo9tLulpD
— Engadget (@engadget) October 18, 2018
As part of its arrangement with the NFL, Microsoft was allowed to buy a block of Super Bowl tickets. It was Tran’s job to distribute them to Microsoft employees but the indictment alleges that instead of distributing them all, he took 62 of the tickets, sold them off for $200,000 and kept the money for himself.
The indictment alleges that he had a fake $775,000 invoice submitted through Microsoft’s vendors, subverting the payment to his own bank account. He is accused of trying to submit another, $670,000 fake invoice as well, but when Microsoft’s vendors grew concerned about the nature of these invoices, they alerted the company.
Greed isn’t good when it comes to bilking your own company.
