https://cbs12.com/news/local/jupiter-man-jasen-butler-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison-convicted-of-wire-fraud-forgery-money-laundering-united-states-department-of-justice-florida-news

A Jupiter man will spend the next five years in prison after a jury convicted him of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering.

Jasen Butler was sentenced Thursday in West Palm Beach by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. According to evidence presented at trial, Butler, who owned Independent Martin Oil Services LLC, tampered with the company’s bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents, such as wire transfer memos and invoices, to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024.

The United States Department of Justice says the ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to support strategic American interests around the globe. The DOJ says Butler, 38, received more than $4.5 million in payments for fake expenses he claimed to have incurred.

After coming under scrutiny from Navy officials, Butler continued the scheme by hiding his identity from the government. He used a false name and claimed to work for a nonexistent fuel division at another company. Authorities say he used millions in illicit proceeds to enrich himself and buy several multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado, which a judge has now ordered forfeited.

“The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes fraud against the American military seriously, and this prison sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime.”