A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after admitting to embezzling a total of $501,000 from two employers, including a St. Louis County company and a non-profit children’s hospital.
Scott H. Foster, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to repay $306,199 to the St. Louis County company where he worked as a mid-level executive in human resources. Foster pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud after he manipulated human resources systems to create an employee account for his paramour and triggered wages and benefits totaling more than $273,000 over nearly five years until his termination in December 2022. He also used a corporate American Express card for over $33,000 in personal travel expenses.
“Rather than learn from his crimes,” according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow, Foster’s conduct became “more manipulative and egregious.”
After Foster’s guilty plea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was contacted by the children’s hospital where Foster had started working in June 2023. An internal investigation revealed that Foster had fraudulently used hospital credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses and travel. Although he received a $20,000 relocation bonus intended for moving closer to the hospital’s area, Foster remained in Charlotte and used the hospital’s credit cards for airfare and lodging related to commuting as well as personal travel—including first-class flights and hotel stays connected with his court appearances.
Judge Pitlyk ordered Foster to pay an additional $194,855 in restitution to the hospital.
“Scott Foster absolutely belongs in prison—not just to answer for stealing from two different employers, but to stop him from preying on another one,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “After being fired from his first company and before he could be charged, Foster took a job at a children’s hospital—where he stole again. Employee theft is one of the most common white-collar crimes the FBI investigates, and it destroys trust from the inside. Businesses must protect themselves with strict internal controls, routine audits, and a clear line of sight on every dollar.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow.
