Former Deerfield Accountant Gets 27 Months for Fraud

Jeffrey B. Travis, a Deerfield certified public accountant and tax preparer who plead guilty last October to engaging in a scheme to defraud U.S. Bancorp and five of his clients of more than $1.8 million, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Restitution for his crimes was continued to May 16, according to the Tribune.

Travis, a Vernon Hills resident who formerly conducted business as Gross & Travis, Ltd. and Travis and Associates, Inc., in Deerfield, admitted last fall that he engaged in the fraud scheme from at least May 2002 until Dec. 2008, reported Patch.

Travis prepared checks payable from his clients to vendors, retirement programs, and tax authorities, and instead of delivering them to the payees intended by his clients, he deposited hundreds of such checks without authority into accounts he controlled at U.S. Bank—at times altering the checks to increase the amounts paid, reported Patch. Travis then withdrew the money from those accounts and diverted the funds—more than $1.8 million over the course of the scheme—to his own use.

Related:

Deerfield Accountant Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

Deerfield Accountant Indicted by Grand Jury