Business News

Sunland’s former IT manager admits to illegally pocketing $2.7 million

Richard Borek used company funds to buy cell phones and electronic tablets from two nationwide cellular phone companies, sold them online to another company and kept the money.

A Duson man pleaded guilty Aug. 9 to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Sunland Construction, a Eunice-based pipeline company, out of more than $2.6 million.

Richard Walter Borek Jr., 43, entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna, according to acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.


Read the July indictment here.


According to the guilty plea, Borek worked as the IT manager for Sunland from 2012 to 2016. He conducted a scheme where he used company funds to buy cell phones and electronic tablets from two nationwide cellular phone companies. He then sold them online to another company and kept the money.

Borek also sold web hosting services and computer equipment to the pipeline company through his own company called Statix, even though the web hosting services were being provided by another company and the computer equipment was never delivered to the pipeline company’s office. According to the plea deal, the loss from both schemes resulted in both cell phone companies charging the pipeline company $2.4 million and Statix charging the pipeline company $236,234 for a total loss to the pipeline company of $2.7 million.

Borek faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set his sentencing for Dec. 7.