JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) — A Jupiter man who ran a marine fuel supply business has been convicted in federal court in West Palm Beach of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme targeting the U.S. military.
A federal jury found Jason Butler, 37, guilty on 34 felony counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and forgery, for defrauding the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies out of more than $4.5 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Following the verdict, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks ordered Butler taken into custody immediately at the request of federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, submitted altered and fake invoices through the military’s SEA Card Program, which allows U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships to purchase fuel while operating overseas. The fraudulent documents were sent to multiple U.S. warships — including the USS Patriot — between August 2022 and January 2024…