An Oklahoma City oil and gas repairman was sentenced this week to 33 months in federal prison for ripping off an Austin, Texas energy company to the tune of $450,000.
Luis Enrique Damazo, 54 was sentenced by Oklahoma City federal court by U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot and ordered him to pay $456,863.59 in restitution to Dexter Field Services.
Charges were filed against Damazo in December of 2017. He was employed as a repair technician by Dexter Field Services LP, a company headquartered in Austin. Dexter 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 to detect leaks at oil and gas refineries which often required ordering replacement parts.
Rather than ordering parts from the original equipment manufacturer, Damazo ordered parts from BC Environmental, a company he secretly created and controlled. From November 2009 through October 2015, he submitted fictitious invoices form BC Environmental to Dexter Field Services for equipment, replacement parts and tools that Dexter Field Services never received.
Prosecutors say Damazo took steps to conceal his involvement with BC Environmental, including using a false identity to lease office space, open bank accounts in his sons’ names and creating fake identities for the purported employees of BC Environmental.
Dexter Field Services paid more than $450,000 to BC Environmental as a result of Damazo’s scheme, which he used for his personal benefit.
It was in February of this year when Damazo pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud.