A former University of South Florida accounting manager has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a massive mail fraud scheme.
Ralph Puglisi, 60, of Palm Harbor, was found guilty of mail fraud and sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung.
Puglisi was employed as an accounting manager for the University of South Florida’s University Medical Services Association (UMSA) when he committed the crime. He was responsible for overseeing the administration of UMSA’s credit cards.
Between June 2014 and November 2019, Puglisi made $12,860,744.07 in unauthorized charges on UMSA’s credit cards for his own benefit. The charges included rent payments, extensive home renovations, travel, chartered yachts, and contributions to women affiliated with an interactive adult website.
Puglisi exploited his position to make false journal entries in records that created the illusion that his charges were related to UMSA’s business operations.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Julie Simonsen.
In addition to his prison sentence, Puglisi was ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $12,860,744.07 to the University of South Florida and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $12,800,000, the proceeds of his mail fraud scheme.
Puglisi pleaded guilty to the charges on August 26, 2021.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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