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May 30, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a dramatic takedown fit for a crime thriller, a 68-year-old dual U.S.-U.K. citizen was arrested at Newark International Airport just days ago, accused of orchestrating a stunning two-year embezzlement scheme that siphoned over $700,000 from a Washington, D.C.-based company.
Jeffrey D’Souza, a former trusted employee turned alleged corporate saboteur, now faces seven felony counts of wire fraud after prosecutors say he carried out a methodical and deceptive operation that funneled company money directly into his own pockets — and those of businesses he secretly controlled.
Federal authorities unsealed the indictment on Wednesday, unveiling the tangled financial web D’Souza allegedly spun between 2021 and 2022. Officials say he digitally submitted phony invoices from fake vendors, secretly linked to shell companies under his control. The catch? These companies never delivered a single good or service. Instead, D’Souza allegedly created a money pipeline straight from his employer’s bank accounts to his own.
But that wasn’t all. Investigators claim D’Souza, who had access to the company’s international payroll systems, manipulated the platform to reroute funds directly into his personal accounts — all while keeping up the façade of a loyal employee.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, and FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director Steven J. Jensen jointly announced the charges, calling it a “blatant betrayal of corporate trust and financial integrity.”
“This was not a one-time lapse in judgment,” Pirro stated. “This was a calculated, sustained campaign of deception for personal enrichment.”
The arrest, which took place on May 25 as D’Souza attempted to board a transatlantic flight, was carried out by federal agents at Newark Airport — suggesting he may have been preparing to flee the country.
If convicted, D’Souza faces up to 140 years in prison — 20 years for each count of wire fraud — along with steep monetary penalties, restitution orders, and a possible lifetime of supervised release.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott spearheading the prosecution. Officials declined to name the victim company but confirmed it remains based in the D.C. area and is cooperating fully with investigators.
While D’Souza awaits his day in court, one thing is clear: what looked like a loyal employee turned out, prosecutors allege, to be a financial predator hiding in plain sight.
Note: As always, an indictment is merely an accusation. Jeffrey D’Souza is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Excerpts from article By Investigative Reporter Claire Donovan
