Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

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

*News Release* Date: February 23, 2010

Former employee imprisoned for 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 been sentenced to serve seven years in a New Jersey state prison for stealing more than $880,000 over a four-year period.

Sean Burns (DOB 11/24/71) of Manchester also was ordered to repay $126,600 to the company for a portion of the thefts not covered by insurance.

Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa sentenced Burns in New Brunswick on February 22, 2010, after he pleaded guilty on November 17, 2009, to a count of second degree theft.

Under a plea agreement negotiated with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Manuel Sameiro, the defendant admitted taking the money while he worked at FMI Inc. as a network technician.

The defendant was charged after 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 purchased computer equipment valued at $729,550.57, resold the items and kept 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.