SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – A Florida man has been charged with defrauding GAF Materials Corporation of hundreds of thousands of dollars by creating fake invoices for non-existent vendors. John Laakso, 56, from Sarasota, Florida, has been indicted on four counts of Wire Fraud.
Each charge could result in up to 20 years in federal prison, alongside fines, restitution, and supervised release upon completion of any prison sentence, as there is no parole in the federal system.
The indictment alleges that between 2021 and 2023, Laakso, who worked as both a contractor and engineering manager for GAF in Savannah, devised a scheme to embezzle funds. He is accused of creating fictitious companies and issuing contracts to them, which would then subcontract real vendors at lower costs. Laakso kept the difference for his personal gain, causing GAF to pay over $1.3 million in fraudulent invoices.
“This indictment alleges a scheme in which an employee betrayed the trust of an employer for self-enrichment at the employer’s expense,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. The case, which also involves the FBI, is still under investigation.
