Former trucking operations manager charged in $500K embezzlement scheme

GAINESVILLE, Ga. - A former operations manager for a Gainesville-based trucking company has been charged with embezzling more than $500,000 through a scheme that federal prosecutors say exploited internal reimbursement processes.

What we know:

Dustin Jarrard, 38, of Gainesville, was arraigned Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anna W. Howard on charges of wire fraud. He was indicted July 22 by a federal grand jury.

From May 2018 through May 2024, Jarrard served as operations manager for Tribe Transportation, a major trucking firm based in Gainesville. Prosecutors said he had the authority to request expense reimbursements on behalf of drivers, including submitting driver names, expense descriptions, and payment amounts to the company’s accounting department.

According to the indictment, Jarrard submitted fraudulent reimbursement requests over more than three years. Some of the requests named individuals who were not employed by the company, allowing Jarrard to collect the payments himself. In other instances, he allegedly recruited actual drivers to participate in the scheme, requesting funds for expenses that were never incurred and bonuses that were not earned. Prosecutors say the drivers would then transfer a portion of the illicit payments back to Jarrard.

What they're saying:

"Jarrard allegedly stole more than $500,000 that was intended to help truckers on the road," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "We will hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust and embezzle funds for their personal use."

"This case is a clear example of financial fraud fueled by greed," said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "Jarrard allegedly manipulated internal processes to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. The FBI is committed to uncovering and stopping this kind of corporate theft."