The former Disney Cruise Line employee Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes, entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud in connection with his scheme to embezzle $275,000 from The Walt Disney Company.
Gomes, who was arrested in San Diego by FBI agents on October 27, 2017, when the cruise ship Disney Wonder docket to the port, admitted that from October 2015 through October 27, 2017, executed his scheme by fraudulently obtaining money from his access to the VeriFone system in order to embezzle funds from Disney Cruise Line for his own benefit.
According to the plea agreement the former merchandise host, assigned to work in the merchandise stores aboard the Disney Wonder made approximately $275,000 in unauthorized charges to Disney’s bank account and loaded the funds onto Disney gift cards. The 32-year-old Brazilian also admitted that he spent approximately $37,700 of the embezzled money for his own personal benefit by taking his family on a two-week vacation to Disney World. While on this vacation, he stated he used the gift cards with the embezzled funds to pay $8,200 for lodging, $29,500 on food, beverage, merchandise and entertainment expenses.
As part of his plea agreement, Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes will be required to repay The Walt Disney Company the total amount of funds he stole which the company was unable to recover. Gomes next court appearance is on March 9, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Cathy A. Bencivengo, until then he remains in federal custody. The crew member faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum fine of $250,000; maximum term of supervised release of 3 years; restitution.