$500K St. Pete embezzlement case: Tampa man sentenced

A Tampa man was sentenced to five years in federal prison after he admitted to embezzling more than $500,000 from a St. Petersburg company, according to court filings.

Zachary Rugen, 34, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As part of his sentence, he must forfeit more than $440,000, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. 

From 2020 to 2022, Rugen was employed as a personnel director for a small company in St. Petersburg, prosecutors say. The company — unnamed in court documents — provided private and corporate security, including both physical and cybersecurity services, according to Rugen’s plea agreement.