CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A former IT director for the Port of Corpus Christi is facing up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to purchasing computers on behalf of the Port and then selling them for personal profit.
39-year-old Tyler Wright Fuhrken of Corpus Christi pleaded guilty to using $320,098 of the Port's money to buy 162 Apple computers. Investigators said he authorized those purchases between May 22, 2016, and Feb. 4, 2021, but did not report those purchases to the Port.
Instead, investigators said Fuhrken sold the laptops to a computer reseller in New York. They were able to trace deposits from PayPal into his bank account, and learned that Fuhrken was invoicing the resell shop via PayPal and shipping the computers from Texas to New York.
Fuhrken pleaded guilty and will be sentenced for the crime by U.S. District Judge Nelva Ramos on July 27. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
As part of Fuhrken's plea agreement, he will also have to pay $421,233 in restitution.
The FBI took part in this investigation along with the Corpus Christi Police Department.
Fuhrken was allowed to remain on bond pending his sentencing in July.
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