A dispatcher has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of embezzling $190,000 from his carrier, KLLM.
During an unscheduled internal audit, KLLM management found a problem. Multiple Comchecks were being cashed at just one Pilot despite having been issued for repair orders which were supposed to have been spread all across the country. Even more suspicious, they were all opened and closed by the same dispatcher, Steven Russell.
On February 7th, 2017, KLLM reached out to the Richland Police Department to let them know that they suspected that Russell was embezzling money from the company. The very next day, KLLM management noticed that Russell had just opened, closed, and issued a Comcheck. They sent the information to Detective Lee Drake.
Detective Drake headed to the local Pilot and found Russell cashing the Comcheck. When Drake questioned him about the money and the multiple blank Comchecks in his possession, Russell claimed that he was just cashing the Comchecks for other drivers. But soon after, Russell invoked his 5th amendment right and chose to stop answering questions.
Investigators discovered that Russell had embezzled $190,000 from KLLM over his years at the company. They also discovered that he had previously been convicted of embezzlement years prior, but that the judge in that case had given Russell a suspended sentence.
Last week a jury found him guilty of embezzlement in an amount greater than $25,000. This time the judge slapped Russell with the maximum allowable penalty.
“The maximum sentence is required to send the message to other criminals that businesses can operate safely in Rankin and Madison Counties,” said Assistant District Attorney Dewey Arthur. “Russell failed to change his conduct after being given a second chance following his conviction in Hinds County and now he should be held accountable for his continued criminal behavior.”
Source: wlbt, clarionledger, wmcactionnews, daguest
Carter says
Wow!
Frank says
Now….How many more are doing this, from this carrier, and others carriers out there…
dan says
I had a guy do that to me, and the cops won’t even give it a second glance.
I guess that since I had the arrogance to try and start a business, it’s okay for the police to throw it away like it never happened.
The only reason they found this guy is because KLLM is a big corporation, and it wouldnt look got on the cop’s blotter.
John doe says
So what 😝 gotta get that free money..
Tupac says
i remember this happen one time at JB Hunt when a dispatcher got arrested for embezzlement too! He stole $50,000 doing the same thing but with lumper services that never happened!! He cashed com checks for himself but eventually got caught! In case you didn’t know…. everytime you cash these checks whether it’s for lumper services or repair shops, they use a federal ID number for a 1099 tax purposes!! The IRS will eventually catch on to the scheme!!
MrYowler says
Who goes to jail when carriers embezzle money from drivers?
Glenn Helmly says
Exactly….. 🤔
Bob Bennett says
Good question MrYowler
Charlie Krebs says
Yea LANDSTAR!!!!!!
Glenn says
So…what was the maximum allowable penalty? A slap on the other wrist or what? The author could’ve at least added that at the end of the article. LAME.
The dispatcher will just find another gig at some fender flapping riff raff trucking company if he’s not behind bars, or as soon as he gets out.
Carlton says
It’s the title and the first line of the article…20 years.
Old Fart says
Read the headline. He was sentenced to 20 years.
RVD says
It clearly states in the title of the article. I hope you’re not a driver, because you easily miss the obvious. Yikes!
mousekiller says
In case you missed it .
Last week a jury found him guilty of embezzlement in an amount greater than $25,000. This time the judge slapped Russell with the maximum allowable penalty.
“The maximum sentence is required to send the message to other criminals that businesses can operate safely in Rankin and Madison Counties
BabyPt says
Yeah-but what WAS the maximum allowable penalty?? A fine? Probation? Prison term? Article never states.
BabyPt says
Oops-neither did I.
Glenn says
Oops. That’s what i get after another 14 hr exhausting day with one eye half shut trying 2 read something I really couldn’t care less about anyways.
Sa says
I guess Glenn didn’t read the 1st sentence. Wow
RobeRey says
What about carb, they should be put behind bars for messing up good American engines and the entire trucking industry, all trucks needed was a simple filter that anybody can change for a new one, gasoline is much more contaminant and harmful than diesel. He stole simple comm checks carb has stolen billions.
John says
KLLM doesn’t run background checks on it’s office staff? They said he was convicted for the same thing at another trucking company. You know, I don’t even know why I’m asking that question. It’s the standard procedure anymore. Blue collar workers and service sector workers are subject to the most extensive background checks and drug testing out there. You can’t even get a job at McDonald’s now without undergoing some sort of a drug test and background check but once someone get’s that degree and becomes an office worker or a so called “professional” I guess you can forget drug testing them and running criminal background checks on them.
Samuel Gallezzo says
How is this any different from the money that companies steal from driver?
John says
Drivers allow it.
Daniel says
Now, if only we could send dispatcher’s to the pokey for screwing us out of work because we refuse to work illegally.
David says
This happened in my state/hometown, and I honestly don’t remember hearing about it on the local news
waynesworld says
My opinion is that ALL OFFICE PERSONAL in ALL TRUCK COMPANIES in this industry should be drug tested just like us drivers, pre employment & random
Mike says
This is what the criminal actually looks like. Not sure why they used a joke photo.
IGN says
More details: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2018/08/23/man-sentenced-20-years-embezzlement-rankin-county/1077193002/
Reading the articles I see what the man was doing. And how he was caught. 20 years ago the ability of employers to do background checks was not as good as today. The ability to do multi state checks was more difficult.
Ronald Broyles says
Every driver making a comment on here is as guilty of embezzlement as he is. Put your halos up. You’ve turned in receipts that were fudged, or trips that were fudged, or your detention really wasn’t that long, or you said you assisted but not really, etc. etc. So get off your high horses.
If you say you haven’t I say your a liar to boot. Bahaaa. You people need to get laid, get a hobby, or a life, or both
Silverspur says
He should just have to pay restitution instead of forcing the already poor taxpayers to lodge and feed him the next 20 years.