A Santa Clarita man is now facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty this week to one count of wire fraud.
Steven Anthony Cowles, 45, of Santa Clarita, entered his plea Wednesday, according to a Department of Justice news release.
From August 2015 to July 2024, Cowles was an electrical shop supervisor for Claremont Colleges Services, which provides administrative and operational support to the college’s seven campuses, according to the indictment, which was published with the release regarding the case.
In this capacity, he was responsible for maintaining the electrical components for the campus, including ordering parts and supplies when needed, per the release.
“From June 2018 to July 2024, Cowles embezzled approximately $1,000,571 from his employer via at least 1,343 unauthorized transactions for expenses unrelated to The Claremont College Services’ operations,” according to the DOJ statement issued Wednesday, “by fraudulently using employer-provided purchasing cards in his name.”
Prosecutors also alleged that he provided his employer false invoices and other forms – purporting to show legitimate purchases of electrical products needed for his employer – to conceal his fraud.
He also linked his employer-provided purchasing cards to his personal PayPal account and initiated funds transfers from the work cards to third parties, per the indictment. The recipients of the purchases listed in the charging document included: a party identified only as D.C.; Lego Brand Retail Inc.; Watch Gang; Glittering White LED; and others.
The last allegation in the indictment is what made the case eligible for the federal charge Cowles ultimately pleaded to: He charged $1,075 on his TCCS purchasing card to D.C.’s PayPal account via an out-of-state server, which is a “use of interstate wires.” Cowles gave Claremont a false invoice for the same amount credited to Mitchell Instrument Services.
U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an April 22 sentencing hearing, at which time Cowles will face up to two decades in federal prison, according to the release.
Cowles is not currently in custody, according to the Department of Justice custody records available online.
