Yesterday, former Morrison & Foerster office operations manager, Andrew Robertson, pleaded guilty to felony mail fraud. Appearing via video in federal court Robertson admitted to for using a firm credit card to make $425,000 of unauthorized personal purchases.
Robertson’s job at MoFo included having a purchasing card and he was able to approve certain orders, including office supplies, renovation matters, and catering. But Roberston now says he took advantage of that and instead used firm funds to buy things for himself. Robertson’s haul reportedly included Prada jeans, watches, a 60-inch television, more than a dozen pairs of Air Jordans, an Apple laptop, a sleeper sofa from Crate & Barrel, a 24-inch gold chain necklace, a 1980s-style prom king costume, and a white-gold pinkie ring.
During the plea hearing, assistant U.S. attorney Kathryn Rakoczy detailed Robertson’s scheme, saying the defendant doctored receipts to make them look like they were for offices expenses. For example a $250 pair of Prada jeans purchase was submitted as computer monitor-related equipment.
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Robertson worked at MoFo from February 2017 to November 2018, when he was fired. When the allegations first became public, the firm offered a comment:
A spokesperson for Morrison & Foerster last year told ALM that the firm terminated Robertson and told law enforcement after it “discovered his alleged stealing of firm property” during an internal audit. “Mr. Robertson’s actions did not impact any of the firm’s clients. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement on this matter,” the firm said.
Sentencing will take place on August 16th.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).