Watch out for this dude. He's shady as hell. Currently running multiple companies in the US and overseas. This is just one of many of his shady dealings.
In 2013, Kirk Yamatani, then 38 and of Ashburn, Virginia, was one of two special agents with the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General who pleaded guilty in federal court for fraud-related offenses while employed with the agency.
What the Charges Were
False Claims for Relocation Expenses
Yamatani and a colleague were entitled to reimbursement for relocation benefits when they transferred from the Commerce OIG’s Atlanta, Georgia office to Washington, D.C. in 2009.
They were authorized expenses like a house-hunting trip, travel to the new duty station, and temporary housing living expenses under federal travel rules.
However, both submitted travel vouchers with false representations — including claims for trips they did not take and overstated temporary living costs — in amounts well above what they were entitled to.
Yamatani’s false claims totaled approximately $36,300 in reimbursements. They continued to reaffirm these false statements in later submissions even after some claims were denied.
Time and Attendance Fraud
Between June 2009 and February 2011, both agents also claimed work hours they did not actually work, committing what’s known as time and attendance fraud against their agency. The estimated loss from these false payroll claims was about $14,000 for each agent.
Plea Agreement and Consequences
Yamatani and his co-defendant pled guilty to the charges and resigned from the Department of Commerce as part of their plea agreements.
Under the plea terms agreed with prosecutors:
Each faced probation rather than immediate prison time at that stage.
They were to pay fines of $28,000 each, plus about $14,000 in restitution to the government.
Sentencing was scheduled for June 19, 2013.
Broader Context
Officials highlighted that the misconduct involved abuse of taxpayer-funded benefits and, in the government’s view, a pattern of misrepresentations.
There was also mention in related reporting of other internal investigations and disputes within the Office of Inspector General at the time, but those were separate matters from the criminal plea.