Posted 12/26/08 at 10:50:16 AM by Paul Lilly

Protip: If you're doing something highly illegal involving millions of dollars in embezzled funds, don't leave all the incriminating details laying around on your desk unattended. Such might be the downfall of Ausaf Umar Siddiqui, VP of Fry's Electronics, who now stands accused of embezzling over $65 million after another Fry's executive discovered a suspicious spreadsheet laying on Siddiqui's desk.

After turning over the spreadsheet to the authorities, the IRS called shenanigans on Siddiqui's business practices, accusing him of cutting deals with some of Fry's largest suppliers to buy larger orders of goods in return for kickbacks and inflated commissions. According to the allegations, Siddiqui made a practice of buying goods at higher prices in exchange for kickbacks of up to 31 percent of the total sales prices. These kickbacks where then funneled into a company Siddiqui set up called PC International, the IRS claims.

According to the report, five unnamed vendors deposited more than $65 million into accounts owned by PC International, a hefty portion of which was used to fun Siddiqui's gambling habits. The IRS found $17.9 million paid out to Las Vegas Sands Corp, the operator of the Venetian Casino Resort. The report notes that the casino would often fly Siddiqui out to Vegas via private jets.

Siddiqui, who was arrested at Fry's headquarters, is currently being held on $300,000 bond. No court date has yet been set, though a judge in the case has given the government 20 days to file formal chargers of wire-fraud, which prosecutors plan to do.

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