Oklahoman Admits $400,000 Fraud of Texas Energy Firm

A 54-year old Oklahoma City repairman for an Austin, Texas energy company has pleaded guilty to defrauding the firm of more than $400,000 through fraudulent invoices over a six-year period.

The guilty plea by Luis Enrique Damazo, also known as Luis Enrique Cassinelli was made recently in Oklahoma City Federal court.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, Robert J. Troester said the charges were filed in December 2017.

Damazo was employed as a repair technician by Dexter Field Services LP, a company headquartered in Austin. The firm provides leak detection, environmental monitoring and consulting services to industrial clients in the energy sector.

Damazo’s job was to repair toxic vapor analyzers used in the detection of leaks at oil and gas refineries. The job entailed the ordering of replacement parts but from November 2009 through October 2015, Damazo secretly operated a business known as BC Environmental. Using BC Environmental, Damazo created fictitious order forms and invoices showing purchases made for Dexter Field Services.

The government prosecutors say he received more than $400,000 from Dexter Field Services as a result of the fraudulent documents. Damazo desposited the checks in a BC Environmental bank account and used the money for his personal benefit.

Damazo went before U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot and admitted his guilty. When he’s sentenced in about 90 days, Damazo could get up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.