A federal grand jury indicted information technology CEO Jason Cory on charges of wire fraud and illegal money transactions.
The July 22 indictment does not name the IT company.
According to stories published in the Jacksonville Daily Record, Cory was CEO of SharedLabs, an IT services provider that moved in 2018 into offices Downtown at 6 E. Bay St. with the approval of $107,000 in incentives approved by City Council in exchange for creating 107 jobs.
A merger between SharedLabs and Colorado-based Glowpoint Inc. was canceled in April 2019 and SharedLabs notified the state it was withdrawing from the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund incentive package approved by Council.
The indictment states that Cory spearheaded the acquisition of subsidiary companies and in 2015 established Gambit Matrix LLC.
Allegedly, Gambit never performed any legitimate business activities. It was dissolved in 2016.
The indictment says Cory maintained and controlled Gambit’s bank account even after the company was dissolved.
He is accused of committing interstate fraud and embezzlement based on transferring money from accounts in Florida to Gambit’s account in North Carolina, the proceeds from fraudulently obtained payments for services never performed by Gambit.
In total, the indictment seeks forfeiture of more than $547,000, which represents the proceeds from the interstate wire transfers; and $11,630.30, which the grand jury alleges was transferred for the purchase of a Rolex Daytona wristwatch.
“This was a civil dispute between Mr, Cory and his former employer. He intends to plead not guilty and contest these charges at trial,” said Todd Foster, with Barnett Bolt Kirkwood Long Koche & Foster, Cory’s attorney.
