Property manager gets prison term for stealing $1.3 million

The former head of a Phoenix-based property-management company was sent to prison for taking almost $1.3 million from several Valley homeowners associations, officials said.

Harlow White, 77, of Gilbert, was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison for stealing the money, which was used, in part, to cover approximately $300,000 in personal charges on his American Express credit card, officials said.

“Harlow White abused the trust of the clients he was supposed to serve, using their money to pay for his own personal expenses,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange in a news release.

White was also ordered to pay $291,420 in restitution, according to the Office of the United States Attorney, Arizona District.

White was the president and CEO of Eagle Property Management Inc. The company was later called EPMI when ownership transferred to White’s daughter.

“Between January 2010 and May 2014, EPMI — with White’s knowledge stole at least $1.2 million directly from HOA clients’ bank accounts,” the release said.

White had previously pleaded guilty to one felony charge of transactional money laundering for using the stolen funds in September.

Officials say White will self-surrender to custody at a date to be determined by the court.