JAMES MICHAEL McBRIDE, age 44, of Vancouver, Washington, entered a plea of guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Tacoma, Washington to the charge of Interstate Transportation of Money Obtained by Fraud. McBRIDE will be sentenced by United States District Judge Ronald Leighton in Tacoma on July 1, 2005. He faces up to 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Court papers indicate McBRIDE was the Information Technology Manager for The Holland, Inc., a Vancouver, Washington company that owns about 40 restaurants in southwest Washington and Oregon. As the IT Manager, McBRIDE had authority to approve and pay invoices for computer and business equipment purchased for The Holland. Between 2000 and 2003, McBRIDE generated 51 fraudulent invoices. The invoices and corresponding payments by The Holland were to a company owned and controlled by McBRIDE. The purported purchases were fictitious, and once McBRIDE received the funds he deposited them to a personal account. McBRIDE then moved the funds from Vancouver to Portland for the purchase of personal items including jewelry and auto parts. In all McBRIDE stole about $202,000.

The case was investigated by the Vancouver office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kurt Hermanns.

For further information, please contact acting press spokesperson Lawrence Lincoln at (206) 553-4127.

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