Chapter 9 - The fake vendors
The phrase fake vendor turned out to be too simple.
Lakeshore Guest Solutions was real.
Technically.
Registered Illinois LLC.
Bank account.
Tax number.
Business address.
The registered manager was a man named Evan Cole.
Forty-one.
Former Bennett Meridian procurement analyst.
Daniel’s college roommate.
Archer Facilities Advisory was also real.
Registered to Evan’s sister.
She said she had agreed to form the company for “consulting work” but knew almost nothing about its invoices.
Dana’s team reconstructed approximately $281,000 in payments over twenty-six months.
Not all fraudulent.
That mattered.
Lakeshore performed legitimate work worth roughly $49,000.
Archer could substantiate another $31,000.
About $201,000 remained unsupported or materially inflated.
Where did it go?
Not directly into Daniel’s checking account.
That would have been easy.
Money moved through:
Vendor accounts.
A small real-estate LLC.
Credit-card payments.
A personal loan repayment.
Hotel charges.
And transfers to Evan.
May you like
Complex enough to delay detection.
Not complex enough to survive coordinated records.
