Ermenildo “Ernie” Castro a former software engineer at Zulily is accused of stealing over $300,000 from the online retailer through a scheme straight out of the 1999 slacker revenge movie Office Space. He now claims the money’s all gone, telling police he lost most of it betting on GameStop meme stock options.
Documents filed by prosecutors in Kings County Superior Court last month detail an audacious scheme by a white collar worker to rip off his bosses, a scheme whose execution left more than a little to be desired. Charged with two counts of felony theft and one count of felony identity theft, Castro allegedly manipulated the code on Zulily’s checkout page to siphon off at least $261,885 in shipping fees into his personal Stripe banking account.
He then allegedly proceeded to change the prices on products, paying pennies on the dollar for them and having them shipped directly to his home where they piled up in front of his door. Prosecutors claim he stole $40,842 this way for a total theft amount of $302,278.52. When interviewed by police after his arrest, Castro admitted the figure could have been even higher, but said the money was all gone.
“He clarified that he had used the money to invest in stock options, particularly GameStop stock options,” the court documents read. It’s unclear which exact options he bet on that left him zeroed out by the meme stock.
More here
Documents filed by prosecutors in Kings County Superior Court last month detail an audacious scheme by a white collar worker to rip off his bosses, a scheme whose execution left more than a little to be desired. Charged with two counts of felony theft and one count of felony identity theft, Castro allegedly manipulated the code on Zulily’s checkout page to siphon off at least $261,885 in shipping fees into his personal Stripe banking account.
He then allegedly proceeded to change the prices on products, paying pennies on the dollar for them and having them shipped directly to his home where they piled up in front of his door. Prosecutors claim he stole $40,842 this way for a total theft amount of $302,278.52. When interviewed by police after his arrest, Castro admitted the figure could have been even higher, but said the money was all gone.
“He clarified that he had used the money to invest in stock options, particularly GameStop stock options,” the court documents read. It’s unclear which exact options he bet on that left him zeroed out by the meme stock.
More here
