Former Los Angeles Executive of a Global Public Relations Firm Indicted for Wire Fraud

Office of Inspector General

Title:	Former Los Angeles Executive of a Global Public Relations Firm Indicted for Wire Fraud
Date:	January 13, 2005
Type:	Investigation
Summary:	John Stodder, a senior vice president and partner at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. (FH), was indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles on 11 counts of wire fraud related to transmissions of false billing information. On multiple occasions, Stodder allegedly inflated or caused to be inflated the billable hours charged by FH on various contracts, with nearly $250,000 fraudulently over-billed to the Department of Water and Power. This indictment resulted from a broader ongoing joint investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Note: As in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.