In connection with his scheme to embezzle more than $275,000 from the Walt Disney Company, a former employee aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in San Diego federal court Thursday.
The 32-year-old, Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes, a Brazilian national, admitted that from at least October 2015 through Oct. 27. 2017, he was employed aboard the Disney Wonder as a merchandise host and assigned to work in the merchandise store.
Gomes admitted to obtaining money through his access to the VeriFone payment system in order to embezzle funds from Disney for his own personal gain.
He made about $275,000 in unauthorized charges to Disney’s bank account, Gomes admitted. While working aboard the Disney Wonder he would load the value of the funds onto Disney gift cards according to his plea agreement.
From April 23 through May 7 of this year, he spent about $37,700 of the embezzled funds for his own personal benefit by taking his family on a Disney World vacation Gomes also admitted.
Gomes said while on vacation he used the gift cards with the embezzled funds to pay about $8,200 in lodging, $29,500 on food, beverages, merchandise and entertainment expenses.
Gomes will be required to repay The Walt Disney Company the total amount of funds he stole which the company was unable to recover As part of his plea agreement.
Gomes remains in custody pending his next court appearance on March 9. Federal agents boarded the Disney Wonder ship after it made port in San Diego Harbor in October and arrested him.