Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

25 Kirkpatrick Street, 3^rd Floor, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 (732) 745-3300

*News Release* Date: November 19, 2009

Former employee admits stealing from Carteret company

Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan announced today that a former computer technician at a Carteret trucking and warehousing company has pleaded guilty to a count of second degree theft, admitting he stole more than $880,000 over a four-year period.

Sean Burns (DOB 11/24/71) of Manchester waived his right to a presentation to a grand jury in Middlesex County and entered the guilty plea during a hearing on November 17, 2009, at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.

Under a plea agreement negotiated with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Manuel Sameiro, the defendant will be sentenced to serve seven years at a New Jersey state prison. The state will ask for an order requiring Burns to repay as much as $126,600 to the company, FMI Inc., to cover its unreimbursed losses.

Burns, who worked as a network technician for seven years at FMI Inc., is scheduled to be sentenced by Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa on Feb. 22, 2010.

An investigation by Investigator Brian Gilmurray of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Burns used a company credit card and billed FMI Inc. for personal expenses totaling $150,880.97

Burns also was charged with purchasing computer equipment valued at $729,550.57, reselling the items, and pocketing the proceeds. The items were described as computer network devices that enable various computers to interact. The offenses occurred between January 2004, and December 2008.

The investigation began after company officials questioned some expenses and confronted Burns, who resigned in January 2009.