Former QVC Director Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A 42-year-old former QVC director received a 30-month federal prison sentence on Tuesday for a million-dollar fraud scheme.
Officials say James D. Falkowski of Buffalo, New York ran the scheme between 2008 and 2013 when he worked as a director at QVC, Inc., which is based out of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
In addition to his sentence, he must pay $832,138.55 in restitution.
In March, Falkowski pleaded guilty to 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy.
Officials say Falkowski knowingly used his role at QVC to embezzle and fraudulently receive $1,000,000 worth of money, goods and services from the company without QVC's knowledge.
He was to get Botox treatment, dine at high-end restaurants, buy expensive clothing, book first-class tickets, purchase hotel and resort rooms, spa treatments and accessories, as well as pay for personal medical treatments in what officials labeled as a "multi-faceted" fraud scheme.
Officials say Falkowski made fake invoices and pretended to be The Four Seasons Hotels, luxury car service companies, and other vendors in order to get QVC to pay the bills.
Falkowski did not work alone, according to officials, who say The Steinberg Group, a Los Angeles-based public relations agency and a New York City-based production management company sent fake invoices and bills to QVC in order to hide Falkowski's embezzlement.
