Gilbert man used $476,000 in company funds for strippers, feds say

A Gilbert computer engineer financed a nearly half-million-dollar online-stripper habit with a company credit card and tried to cover it up by lying about what he had bought in expense reports, according to federal authorities.

A federal grand jury in Missouri indicted John David Berrett last week on five counts of wire fraud in connection with more than $476,000 that investigators say he spent using purchasing power entrusted to him by World Wide Technology.

A St. Louis-based company with an office in Phoenix, World Wide Technology describes itself as a "global systems integrator" with about $6.7 billion in annual revenue.

“Mr. Barrett is no longer employed by World Wide Technology. We cannot comment further on an on-going investigation and are fully cooperating with the Federal Authorities,” said Edward Levens, spokesperson for World Wide Technology.

Authorities say Berrett, 40, filed fake expense reports that said he had spent the money on traveling to meet, train and entertain the company's customers, records show. He also claimed to have bought computer-networking supplies and training materials, the indictment states.

No one responded to a voice mail left at a number listed for Berrett.

The 16-page indictment accuses Berrett of buying tokens used to pay online strippers and spending about $10,800 on one website alone. He racked up the charges on a corporate credit card for roughly 13 months in 2013 and 2014, documents state.

During that time, Berrett, authorities allege, tipped online strippers about 2,200 times for a total of more than $100,000, records show. Berrett also is accused of giving one stripper about $27,000 to pay for her college tuition, buy new tires and finance her parents' utility bill.

Berrett also bought gifts for his favorite performers, including chocolates, flowers, shoes, wine, a handbag, a television, a laptop and an iPod, according to the indictment.

Documents state that Berrett's claim of a "bribe for the UNIX guys" was actually about $225 in wine for one stripper. He bought another stripper a digital piano, headphones and extended warranty worth about $2,300, but claimed it was fiber-optic cables, disc drives and patch cords, records show.

Berrett also is accused of buying himself a gift: Records show he spent about $130 on a sex toy touted as a "top selling pleasure products brand for men" but told the company he had purchased a training guide with practice questions.