CALIFORNIA
A former special agent of the FBI plead guilty today in federal court to stealing more than $136,000 of drug proceeds seized during the execution of search warrants in 2014, falsifying reports and tampering with a witness, according to officials.
Scott M. Bowman, 44, of Moreno Valley, California, used the money for personal use including cars, plastic surgery for his wife and a weekend vacation to Las Vegas, according to officials.
U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal set sentencing for Aug. 15.
“When the FBI became aware of allegations of misconduct by defendant Bowman, FBI management took immediate action by contacting the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge James Struyk of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “As Mr. Bowman takes responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty, the public should be reminded that FBI personnel are held to the highest standards and misconduct of any kind is taken very seriously.”
In connection with his plea, Bowman admitted that he misappropriated drug proceeds seized during the execution of three search warrants in June and August 2014, after they were transferred to his custody in his official capacity as a federal law enforcement officer.
Bowman then spent the stolen money for his own personal use, including by spending $43,850 to purchase a 2012 Dodge Challenger coupe, $27,500 to purchase a 2013 Toyota Scion FR-S coupe and $26,612 to outfit these vehicles with new speakers, rims, tires and other equipment.
Bowman also admitted that he used $15,000 of the misappropriated cash to pay for cosmetic surgery for his spouse and opened a new checking account into which he deposited $10,665 of the stolen funds.
In order to conceal his embezzlement, Bowman falsified official FBI reports, submitted a receipt with a forged signature and asked a local police detective to provide false information to law enforcement officers if asked about Bowman’s activities with respect to the drug proceeds.
Specifically, Bowman sent emails to the local police detective in October 2014 containing a detailed cover story that the detective was instructed to provide and a copy of the receipt with the forged signature, so that the detective could falsely claim the forged signature as his own.