Millions stolen from health fund spent at adult website

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A former accounts manager for a nonprofit affiliated with the University of South Florida’s medical school has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $13 million, spending most of it at an adult website with some of it coming back to him.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Ralph Puglisi, 59, is facing up to 20 years in prison under the deal, which was recently filed in Tampa’s federal court. Puglisi had worked for the University Medical Service Association, which provides staffing and support for USF Health and other medical providers in the Tampa Bay area.

According to court documents, Puglisi spent almost $12 million at an adult website that allows users to subscribe to channels belonging to specific women, who disrobe and engage in sex acts on live video.

An investigation showed that Puglisi subscribed to a channel belonging to his stepson’s fiancee and they split almost $750,000 in profits, with Puglisi taking 60%.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-10de0f8f7f00bba5ba6939fa44bf7345

[IronLionZion]

1. Well it's not like Florida has any actual health problems that need funding

[twodogsbarking]

2. You can't make this shit up.

Good grief.

[Hortensis]

9. My thought.

[twodogsbarking]

12. And we refer to animals as "wild".

Goodgrief.2

[Hortensis]

14. Wild -- but not self abusive. It's a wonder.

[bahboo]

3. that's a lot of money to spend...

in your room whacking off....

[cinematicdiversions]

4. He was using the website to launder the stolen funds.

It wasn't as if he spent 13 million on virtual lapdances.

The AP should be ashamed of itself for its clickbait headline. And its readers should learn some critical reading skills.

[CrispyQ]

5. Now all his neighbors think he's a perv. -nt

[Warpy]

6. The penalty seems far too light

unless they give him the maximum with no parole.

I have to wonder who much better satffing that money would have bought, and how many fewer overworked people would have burned out and how many more people could have been helped.

That is the true cost here, not the dollar figure he embezzled. It's what happened because of it.

So the penalty is far too light.

[quaint]

7. Launderer from the AP link

An investigation showed that Puglisi subscribed to a channel belonging to his stepson’s fiancee and they split almost $750,000 in profits, with Puglisi taking 60%.

“The investigative team developed a working theory that Puglisi worked either with the principals of the adult content provider, or with the female profiles of the adult content provider in order to financially benefit from funds charged,” prosecutors wrote.

The Times says Puglisi also is accused of making $647,000 in payments to a limited liability company he owned with his wife, plus other expenditures, including: $374,000 for personal travel; $191,000 in rent for a family member; and $120,000 on household improvements.

[underpants]

8. No link to the adult website.

😡

[getagrip_already]

10. Is a decimal point missing?

The article says $13 M, but it seems more likely it's $1.3 M.

In any case, I'm shocked he is facing 20 years on a plea deal. People charged with murder can get less time.

[AnrothElf]

16. Yeah but murder just kills people...

...this dude stole MONEY.

Imagine he'd get a life sentence if he'd done something REALLY bad, like ... God forbid... Property destruction!

[bucolic_frolic]

11. I'd call this Voyeur Incest, also known as keeping the stolen funds in the family

Med School guy knows safe sex when he sees it!

[Deep State Witch]

13. I'll Bet the Investigation

was long and hard.

[AllaN01Bear]

15. always after the small fish and never the slobfather lard lips .

[Bristlecone]

17. I guess he'll run for Governor, then senator.

[Tommymac]

18. I bet he skips a few steps and runs for Prez in 2024.

13 million stolen from the Government, porn site run by stepson's fiance, promises to make restitution, Florida...

I think he has dotted the i's and crossed the 'T's"...well qualified rethug candidate.

[Bristlecone]

23. Nobody loves being kicked in the groin repeatedly like Floridians

(No offense to my FL DU brothers and sisters…)

[rambler_american]

19. Florida n/t

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

20. Grrr... Stuff like this pisses me off and it seems to be gaining more and more normalcy in American

politics.

[Sneederbunk]

21. $12 million? That's a lot of porn.

[packman]

22. 13$ mil on porn? Damn, I am an amateur

[Evolve Dammit]

24. I am starting to lack the intellectual curiousity to understand how f'd up these Goopers are..

LOCK THEM UP! Subscribed to Step-son's fiancees' "channel"?? Spent 12 million?? JFC.

[Martin68]

25. How does anyone spend $13 million at an adult website?

[Mazeltov Cocktail]

26. His stepson's fiance...

That's some incest porn going on...

It's a big story here because apparently it was an open secret.

[Princess Turandot]

27. Two local Tampa outlets describe the spending a little differently..

He spent the $$ on a variety of things. Rent and home repair expenditures aren't click-baity though!

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2021/08/13/former-usf-employee-embezzled--12-8-million-and-pleaded-guilty-
According to his plea agreement filed with the Tampa division of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Puglisi pleaded guilty to mail fraud after spending stolen funds on “rent payments, extensive home renovations, travel, chartered yachts, and contributions to women affiliated with an interactive adult website.”

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/crime/umsa-ralph-puglisi-embezzlement/67-da45be5e-c8f8-4223-a092-ab4052f16a06
Ralph Puglisi worked for years as an accounting manager at the University of South Florida’s University Medical Services Association (UMSA). In that role, he oversaw UMSA's credit cards.

According to his plea deal, he used the credit cards to make purchases for himself between June 2014 and November 2019. Prosecutors say he spent the money on rent, home repairs, travel and chartered yachts. He also paid women on an interactive adult website, according to court documents.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. $11.5m went to the adult website

so I don't think the OP is "clickbaity". The rent and home repairs are relatively minor.

It found that Puglisi made at least $12.86 million in non-business charges on UMSA credit cards, with at least $11.5 million going to an adult content website, mygirlfund.com.

About 22,000 interactions with the site were recorded, and a search found that Puglisi frequented the profile of a woman on the site believed to be his stepson’s fiancée, the report said. It said an Excel document was found that showed the two split $743,968 in profits, with 60 percent of the money going to Puglisi.

The nature of the transactions and other details were unclear, but the report stated: “The investigative team developed a working theory that Puglisi worked either with the principals of the adult content provider, or with the female profiles of the adult content provider in order to financially benefit from funds charged to the UMSA credit card.”

The website allows users to buy credits and then donate them to the people with profiles on the site, who can “cash out” those credits for real dollars at any point. Puglisi visited the profile user believed to be his stepson’s fiancée more than 2,800 times over a two-year span, the report said.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2021/08/12/accounting-manager-who-handled-usf-health-care-funds-embezzled-millions/

What I can't tell is if the 2,800 out of 22,000 means they can't figure out what happened to over 80% of the $11.5 million, or if the website takes the vast majority of the "donations".

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

28. That's a lot of wank time

[Hugh_Lebowski]

29. Now that ... is 'making it rain' (nt)