BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Greed came home to roost for two former Chick-fil-A directors this week, as both received federal prison sentences for a brazen scheme to steal nearly half a million dollars from the fast-food franchise. Larry James Black, Jr., 37, of Center Point, and Joshua Daniel Powell, 40, of Moody, were sentenced in U.S. District Court after admitting to years of systematic theft.
Larry James Black, Jr. received the harsher sentence – 30 months behind bars – after pleading guilty to both conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in September 2021. Joshua Daniel Powell, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June 2021, will serve 15 months. Both men were directors at the Chick-fil-A location in Birmingham’s Five Points South neighborhood during the period the scheme was active.
Federal prosecutors detailed how, between April 2018 and January 2020, Black and Powell cooked up a scheme to siphon $492,000 in customer payments away from Chick-fil-A Five Points and into bank accounts they secretly controlled. The bulk of the stolen funds came from large catering orders. They masked their theft by creating fraudulent email accounts and digital payment systems designed to mimic legitimate Chick-fil-A communications, fooling customers into sending money directly to the pair. Powell’s personal email account was also used to intercept virtual credit card payments from another customer.
But the deception didn’t stop at the restaurant. Black, apparently insatiable, also attempted to defraud his mortgage lender. He forged payroll records and lied about his income when applying for a $159,948.00 mortgage in January 2020, securing approval for a home in Center Point, Alabama, based on the fraudulent application. This added layer of criminality further cemented his fate in federal court.
The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, demonstrating the agency’s increasing focus on digital financial crimes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter led the prosecution, successfully bringing the pair to justice. The Secret Service declined further comment, but sources within the agency confirmed they are actively investigating similar schemes targeting franchise operations nationwide.
The case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly “wholesome” businesses aren’t immune to fraud. Black and Powell traded on the trust of both Chick-fil-A and its customers, and now they’ll pay the price – a significant chunk of their lives spent in federal prison, alongside a permanent criminal record. The stolen funds will likely be subject to forfeiture proceedings, though recovery for Chick-fil-A may be incomplete.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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