Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of TADASHI DUMAS, 53, for stealing more than $200,000 from his employer, a consulting firm, while working as its Chief Counsel and Compliance Officer. In his role, DUMAS was tasked with retaining outside counsel and authorizing their compensation by submitting invoices to his employer. Instead, DUMAS intentionally submitted fraudulent invoices and diverted the funds to pay for his tuition and purchase a self-sponsored magazine article, as well as directly to his personal bank account. DUMAS is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and three counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.[1]

“As alleged, the very person tasked with ensuring his employer’s compliance with laws and regulations broke them time after time to line his pockets at the company’s expense,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We hold people in positions of power – including sworn attorneys with solemn ethical obligations – to the highest standards and will not tolerate fraud at New York businesses’ expense.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record, from April 13, 2021, through December 27, 2021, DUMAS stole more than $200,000 from his employer in his role as Chief Counsel and Compliance Officer. During this time, DUMAS was tasked with retaining outside counsel and authorizing their compensation by submitting invoices to his employer. Instead, DUMAS intentionally submitted falsified invoices to his employer which purported to be for payment to outside counsel, but instead contained fraudulent wiring instructions and reference numbers that would divert the funds to DUMAS’ intended recipient.

Two of the fraudulent invoices pertained to DUMAS’ tuition at the University of Pennsylvania, where he took a management course. DUMAS submitted two invoices totaling $60,500 for purported services rendered by an outside law firm, but included wiring instructions that caused his employer to unknowingly pay for his tuition by wiring $60,500 directly to the University of Pennsylvania. DUMAS then fraudulently submitted documents to his company stating that he completed the course – which he had not – and seeking reimbursement. Relying on the false representation, the company paid the defendant an additional $30,000 to reimburse tuition that they had unknowingly already covered. 

On July 8, 2021, DUMAS again submitted a falsified invoice for $8,995 to his employer for purported services rendered by another outside law firm. Due to the fraudulent wiring instructions contained within, the money was directed to a bank account belonging to Trueline Publishing as payment for a self-sponsored magazine article about the defendant.

Finally, from October 20, 2021, to December 27, 2021, DUMAS submitted four invoices totaling $113,722.50 to his employer for purported services rendered by yet another law firm, but this time arranged for his employer to wire money directly to a bank account in his name.

Assistant D.A. Michael Luongo is handling the prosecution of this case with the assistance of Investigative Analyst Max Stahl and under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Kelly Thomas (Deputy Chief of Financial Frauds Bureau, Assistant D.A. Kofi Sansculotte (Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) and Executive Assistant D.A. Jodie Kane (Acting Chief of the Investigation Division.. The investigation was previously handled by former Financial Frauds Assistant D.A. Jessica Olive. )

Defendant Information

TADASHI DUMAS

Brooklyn, NY

Charges:

• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, one count
• Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, three counts

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.