Two Dell employees have been charged with computer fraud in Oklahoma County District Court after each was alleged to have defrauded the computer company out of over $133,000 using separate and unrelated fraud schemes.

Two Separate Cases of Fraud & Embezzlement

One employee set up fraudulent customer accounts to obtain equipment and hardware for pennies on the dollar; another gave unauthorized discounts to family and friends.

In the first case, Ryan Matthew Wells, 27, is accused of creating fabricated customer accounts using his relatives' names. He then allegedly manipulated the prices of items on 59 fraudulent orders.

In one case, he paid only 34 cents for five Dell projectors valued at $1,961.45. Wells reportedly told police that he later sold the items through classified ads on Craigslist and eBay, using the profits to pay his student loans.

Wells allegedly defrauded Dell out of $113,900 as a result of this scheme. He is charged with ten counts of computer fraud.

In the second case, Phillip Valentine, 28, is accused of providing his family and friends with unauthorized discounts on Dell merchandise, giving one friend a discount of $500 off a camera lens. The total value of unauthorized discounts in Valentine's scheme is approximated at nearly $20,000.

Valentine has been charged with two counts of Oklahoma computer fraud. In Oklahoma, fraud is a white collar crime, or a crime connected to a business or commercial enterprise.

White Collar Crimes Defense

White collar crimes are often investigated long before the suspect or perpetrator is even aware that someone has become suspicious of his or her actions. If someone has been accused of fraud or embezzlement, the first step is seeking legal counsel from a defense attorney experienced with fraud, embezzlement, computer crimes, and other white collar criminal investigations.