The government seems to be cracking down on the alleged misappropriation of funds to take trips to Walt Disney World. In the most recent case, a couple reportedly used government funds to take 31 trips to Walt Disney World.
61-year-old Thomas Bouchard was arrested in 2020. Bouchard was a defense department Contracting Officer in charge of the US Army Natick Contracting Division in Massachusetts.
While working as a contractor, Bouchard used connections to hire his girlfriend, Chantelle Boyd, as an assistant in a “no-show job.” According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Boyd’s position ran from 2014 to 2018 and cost the government nearly $488k.
How did the couple defraud the government?
The Justice Department claimed that the couple took “.. numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. 31 of the trips were to the Walt Disney World resort, but other excursions took place in Maryland, Alabama, Virginia, and Clearwater, Florida.
Federal prosecutors claimed that “For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks — all during business hours.“During these trips, Boyd did “little to any work.”
They also argued that Bouchard would submit manufactured receipts for Boyd’s expenses to try and hide the scam.
“In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses.”
In April 2023, Bourchard pled guilty and was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison. Then one year of supervised release. He also must pay back $487,658.87,
Boyd was recently sentenced to “six months home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release.” She will also need to pay restitution, but that amount has yet to be determined.
This comes after NYC “educrats” took family members on trips meant for homeless students, and the Department of Education found out and went after them.
The moral of the story is to not defraud the government for trips to Walt Disney World.
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