Related Federal Cases
SeaWorld Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing $818,000
Wilfred David Joseph Jobin-Reyes, also known as Sebastian Jobin, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and tax charges, admitting he embezzled a total of $818,000 from SeaWorld over more than eight years.
According to court documents, Jobin-Reyes used his management position at SeaWorld to cause the park to pay more than 100 fake invoices from a sham company he secretly owned, called ‘SJ Merchandise.’ The invoices, for disposable goods such as ‘wildlife animal bookmarks,’ ‘sea creature rings,’ and ‘poinsettia in pots,’ were never actually delivered to SeaWorld.
Jobin-Reyes admitted that he used the sham merchandise company to cheat the IRS by claiming fake expenses on his taxes. By pretending that his business suffered hefty losses, Jobin-Reyes reduced the amount of taxes he claimed he owed, and underpaid more than $200,000 in taxes he owed from 2010 through 2014.
As part of today’s plea, Jobin-Reyes also admitted that he took advantage of a friend’s innocent efforts to help him get his sham business afloat. He convinced his friend to open business banking and credit accounts, using the friend’s social security number and good credit, then used those accounts to receive and disburse the illegal proceeds from SeaWorld.
Jobin-Reyes used the money he stole from SeaWorld, the taxpayers, and his friend’s credit cards to fund a lavish lifestyle he could not otherwise afford. He spent the proceeds on plane tickets, hotels, restaurants, and shopping. In the year preceding his arrest, according to court documents, he traveled around the country from New Orleans to Hawaii, spending the stolen money.
Jobin-Reyes’ actions were condemned by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, who said, ‘We are dedicated to protecting our local businesses, citizens, and taxpayers from corruption.’ U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge David Murray added, ‘I commend the special agents from the Secret Service and the IRS whose tireless work during this investigation resulted in today’s court action.’
Jobin-Reyes is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts of wire fraud and up to 5 years in prison for tax evasion.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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