Former GlobeTel CFO pleads guilty to fraud
South Florida Business Journal
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 1:55pm EST
The former chief financial officer of Fort Lauderdale-based GlobeTel Communications has pleaded guilty to charges he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service $2.7 million in stock compensation paid by the company to him and other corporate officers.
Thomas Y. Jimenez, 50, of Plantation, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Miami, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
Jimenez was charged with using C&M Management Consulting, a nominee entity, to hold GlobeTel stock as collateral for loans made to some GlobeTel corporate officers in 2004 and 2005.
In 1008, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed suits against GlobeTel, Jimenez and four other officers, claiming they participated in a scheme to inflate the company's revenue and hide millions of dollars of unpaid receivables and liabilities.
As part of his plea, Jimenez admitted that he knew the stock serving as collateral for the loans would be sold and the proceeds distributed to GlobeTel’s corporate officers.
GlobeTel shares were once listed on the American Stock Exchange, but a Yahoo Finance listing indicates the stock (OTC BB: GTEL) has not traded since May.
Jimenez faces a total of three years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and a fine up to $5,000.
No sentencing date has yet been set. |
