Mark Kuhn, Wire Fraud, WV 2005-2023

Mark Kuhn, 53, of Milton in Cabell County, West Virginia, is going to federal prison for stealing nearly a million dollars from the Charleston Marriott Town Center over more than a decade. The former accountant and general cashier admitted to a wire fraud scheme that bled the hotel of $955,317.17 between November 2005 and February 2016, using his access to cash receipts and accounting systems to line his own pockets.

Kuhn didn’t just pocket cash — he covered his tracks with cold precision. Each time he stole from departmental earnings at the gift shop, front desk, restaurant, or bar, he falsified the books to reflect fake payments to travel agencies or online booking platforms. The false entries matched the exact amounts he siphoned daily, creating a paper trail designed to stall detection. It worked — for ten long years.

The embezzled money fueled a lifestyle far beyond a hotel accountant’s salary. Kuhn admitted using the stolen funds for luxury vacations to Hawaii, the Bahamas, Myrtle Beach, and Disney World. He took a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, and bought multiple vehicles, including cars, a truck, and a recreational vehicle. None of it was earned. All of it was stolen.

He also used the illicit cash to service personal debts — paying down balances on Chase MasterCard, Sears, and Home Depot revolving credit accounts. While the hotel trusted him with its books, Kuhn treated corporate accounts like his personal ATM, draining funds with increasing boldness over the years.

The United States Secret Service cracked the case, uncovering the depth of Kuhn’s deception. After pleading guilty to wire fraud, he faced the music in federal court. U.S. Attorney Carol Casto announced the outcome today, confirming that U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston handed down a 30-month prison sentence and ordered full restitution of $955,317.17.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip H. Wright led the prosecution. The case stands as a stark reminder that even white-collar crimes leave blood on the floor — in this case, the financial ruin of a business and the betrayal of trust. Kuhn’s reign of theft is over. His tab, with interest, is due.