2008 Woodie Awards
Fraud suspect pleads guilty, violates bail
By: Anna Forder
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: News
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Former Webster University employee Malcolm J. Murphy pleaded guilty March 12 to a charge of mail fraud, admitting he stole at least $400,000 from the university by creating and submitting fraudulent invoices from phony companies for work he never completed.
Murphy, former facilities manager for renovation and construction projects at Webster, was later taken into custody in December 2006, three years after the alleged fraud began and was released shortly after on $20,000 bond. According to court documents, his bail was redacted March 12 after he called two current Webster employees March 1, asking them to allow him into campus buildings, and he was taken back into custody.
The U.S. Attorney's Office contends Murphy may have wanted to damage Webster property in retaliation or manufacture evidence for his defense. Murphy's attorney, Susan K. Roach, claims Murphy was trying to take pictures of work he said he performed on Webster's campus.
Though Murphy admitted to stealing at least $400,000, court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office say the fraud may have been in excess of $700,000.
Murphy, 48, was indicted Dec. 6 on one count of mail fraud after allegedly creating two sham companies: NuRoad Systems and Paric Civil Consulting. As part of the plea, Murphy admitted he forged other employees' signatures on invoices that claimed his companies did work that was never actually completed. He then allegedly received payment for this uncompleted work, which was routed into personal bank accounts via a post office box, hence the mail fraud charges.
In an attempt to gain access to Webster buildings, Murphy contacted a Webster supervisor of facilities operations who was only identified in court documents as P.L. However, according to the staff directory at http//:www.webster.edu, the only person with this position and these initials is Pamela Lewis. Lewis could not be reached by press time.
Murphy also contacted a maintenance employee with the initials J.T., according to court documents. Webster's directory listed James Times as the only such employee with these initials. Murphy requested J.T. let him into the buildings "when no one else was around" and offered to pay J.T. for his help, according to court documents.
Murphy, former facilities manager for renovation and construction projects at Webster, was later taken into custody in December 2006, three years after the alleged fraud began and was released shortly after on $20,000 bond. According to court documents, his bail was redacted March 12 after he called two current Webster employees March 1, asking them to allow him into campus buildings, and he was taken back into custody.
The U.S. Attorney's Office contends Murphy may have wanted to damage Webster property in retaliation or manufacture evidence for his defense. Murphy's attorney, Susan K. Roach, claims Murphy was trying to take pictures of work he said he performed on Webster's campus.
Though Murphy admitted to stealing at least $400,000, court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office say the fraud may have been in excess of $700,000.
Murphy, 48, was indicted Dec. 6 on one count of mail fraud after allegedly creating two sham companies: NuRoad Systems and Paric Civil Consulting. As part of the plea, Murphy admitted he forged other employees' signatures on invoices that claimed his companies did work that was never actually completed. He then allegedly received payment for this uncompleted work, which was routed into personal bank accounts via a post office box, hence the mail fraud charges.
In an attempt to gain access to Webster buildings, Murphy contacted a Webster supervisor of facilities operations who was only identified in court documents as P.L. However, according to the staff directory at http//:www.webster.edu, the only person with this position and these initials is Pamela Lewis. Lewis could not be reached by press time.
Murphy also contacted a maintenance employee with the initials J.T., according to court documents. Webster's directory listed James Times as the only such employee with these initials. Murphy requested J.T. let him into the buildings "when no one else was around" and offered to pay J.T. for his help, according to court documents.
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