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Former Accounting Manager for Historic Savannah Foundation
Pleads Guilty to Fraud
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA—Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern
District of Georgia, announced that James Walter Boston, 53, of Savannah, Georgia, appeared in
United States District Court on June 19, 2009 and pled guilty to one count of bank fraud, in
violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344.
Boston had been charged with bank fraud and access device fraud in an indictment
returned by the federal grand jury in March 2009. That indictment arose out of an investigation
into allegations that Boston embezzled money from the general operating account of the Historic
Savannah Foundation, a local non-profit organization, while he was employed as its Accounting
and Finance Manager. The indictment alleged that on over fifty separate occasions between May
2, 2008, and December 23, 2008, Boston fraudulently wrote checks and made wire transfers from
the Historic Savannah Foundation’s general operating account to his own personal bank account.
It was further alleged that over the course of his employment, Boston embezzled approximately
$74,000.
Booth stated that the evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing showed that Boston
obtained that money from the Historic Savannah Foundation by fraudulent means. In fact, Boston
admitted that he had obtained the money by fraud.
Booth noted that Boston faces a maximum statutory penalty of thirty (30) years'
imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and five (5) years' supervised release. Boston remains on bond
pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
Booth commended Special Agent Josh Hayes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for
his work on the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant United States
Attorney Brian Tanner.
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