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 double-embezzlement scheme that cost two employers a combined $501,000. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down a 30-month sentence on Thursday, along with an order for full restitution.

Foster, a former mid-level human resources executive, initially defrauded a St. Louis County company out of $306,199. He pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud, confessing to manipulating the company’s HR systems to create a phantom employee – his paramour. Over nearly five years, Foster funneled $273,000 in wages and benefits to this fake employee. He also racked up over $33,000 in personal expenses on a corporate American Express card, funding travel for himself, his lover, and their friends.

But the greed didn’t stop there. According to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow, Foster’s actions only escalated after his initial crimes were discovered. “Rather than learn from his crimes,” the memo stated, Foster’s conduct became “more manipulative and egregious.” Just weeks after pleading guilty to the first embezzlement, a non-profit children’s hospital – where Foster had been working since June 2023 – discovered a second pattern of fraudulent activity.

The hospital, lured by Foster’s credentials and a $20,000 relocation bonus, quickly realized they’d been played. Foster, still residing in Charlotte, used hospital credit cards to pay for airfare and lodging to commute to his job, effectively living a double life while lining his pockets. He also used the cards for personal trips, and even to finance his February court appearance in St. Louis – first-class airfare and a hotel stay paid for with stolen funds. The hospital’s losses totaled $194,855.

“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,” declared Chris Crocker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. “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.”

Judge Pitlyk ordered Foster to repay both victims in full – $306,199 to the St. Louis County company and $194,855 to the children’s hospital. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow. Foster’s attempt to con his way through life has finally hit a dead end, and a lengthy prison sentence will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others considering similar schemes.

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