Foster Gets 30 Months for Double-Dip Embezzlement Scheme

ST. LOUIS – Scott H. Foster, 49, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is headed to federal prison after admitting to a brazen scheme to steal over half a million dollars from two unsuspecting employers. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down a 30-month sentence Thursday, along with a hefty order to repay the stolen funds.

Foster, a former mid-level human resources executive, initially defrauded a St. Louis County company out of $306,199. He manipulated internal systems to create a fraudulent employee account for a romantic partner, funneling over $273,000 in wages and benefits to them over nearly five years. The scheme continued until Foster’s termination in December 2022. He also brazenly used a company American Express card for over $33,000 in personal travel for himself, his paramour, and friends.

But Foster didn’t stop there. According to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow, his behavior didn’t just continue, it escalated. After pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the St. Louis County company, a non-profit children’s hospital – where Foster had been working since June 2023 – contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They discovered Foster was at it again, fraudulently using hospital credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses and travel.

The hospital had even provided Foster with a $20,000 relocation bonus, expecting him to move to the area. Instead, he remained in Charlotte and used the hospital’s money to commute to his job, racking up expenses for airfare and lodging. He also used the cards for additional personal travel, including first-class airfare to St. Louis for his guilty plea hearing in February. Even while under investigation for the first embezzlement, Foster continued to bleed the children’s hospital dry.

Judge Pitlyk ordered Foster to repay $194,855 to the hospital, in addition to the $306,199 owed to the St. Louis County company. “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,” stated Chris Crocker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Employee theft destroys trust from the inside. Businesses must protect themselves.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow. Foster’s case serves as a stark reminder that white-collar crime isn’t victimless; it’s a betrayal of trust with real consequences, and the Grimy Times will continue to expose these predators.

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