Microsoft employee charged with £5.6m fraud
- Posted:
- 11:29 16 Dec 2002
- Topics:
- Servers
Daniel Feussner, a mid-level Microsoft engineer who led one of Microsoft's .net voice recognition technology projects, was arrested after an FBI probe uncovered a scheme in which he allegedly ordered products through Microsoft's internal purchasing programme and sold them on the street.
According to court papers, Feussner used his earnings to acquire a lavish car collection, a yacht, expensive watches and diamond jewellery.
He is being charged with 15 counts of wire, mail and computer fraud and could face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.
Microsoft said, "We take employee theft very seriously and realise the effects it can have on the value we provide our customers and shareholders.
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"We have a number of internal measures in place to identify theft and work very closely with the appropriate authorities on these matters."
Feussner used internal purchase orders to buy high-end server software, which he then sold for cut-rate prices while keeping the proceeds, the complaint alleges.
The FBI said Feussner's arrest was part of a larger probe into illegal use of Microsoft's internal purchasing programme.
