Court

A Meridian, Idaho, man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering based on schemes to defraud his employer, Fry Foods Inc., during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the plea agreement, Douglas Wold, 49, worked as a human resources manager for Fry Foods in Ontario, just across the Oregon border.

Between May and August 2020, Wold submitted fraudulent payroll requests for individuals who never worked at Fry Foods or who no longer worked there.

Those payroll checks were processed based on Wold’s requests. Wold then deposited the fraudulent payroll checks into his bank accounts.

Wold  also issued a fraudulent invoice to Fry Foods in the name of his business, Hala Lallo Health, for $39,995 for COVID-19 testing when, in fact, the testing was provided by another company and at a much lower cost.

When Fry Foods paid Hala Lallo Health, Wold deposited the funds into a bank account he controlled and did not pay the health care provider that conducted the testing.

Wold spoke to Capital Press in May 2020 regarding the temporary closure of the Fry Foods’ plants due to positive cases of COVID-19 in employees, as well as testing of employees at both plants.

Wold committed the offense of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity by transferring $69,116.48 in proceeds from his frauds for the purchase of a speedboat and trailer, which the government has since recovered.

Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Wold to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.