TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Attorneys for the University of South Florida are following the money trail of a now-imprisoned former accountant who admitted taking millions from the university and giving a small fortune to members of his family.

Ralph Puglisi, 60, pleaded guilty nearly two years ago to one count of mail fraud in connection with embezzling $12.8 million from USF’s University Medical Services Association (UMSA) during a six year period starting in 2014. He is serving a 10-year sentence.

The mail fraud charge was tied to an $18,953 check that was mailed to him.

Puglisi admitted to laundering the money by using thousands of transactions to funnel it from two UMSA credit cards to adult website mygirlfund.com, and then back to him and others.

At the time, Puglisi had no oversight during the scheme, but a USF spokesperson said the crime prompted the university to strengthen its process.

One of the most recent filings in USF’s civil lawsuit includes allegations of how Puglisi’s stepson and his wife allegedly benefited from the scheme.

USF claims Tyler and Francesca Ruth used $120,000 of the money for a down payment on a home in a Sarasota County development.

USF also alleges the money Puglisi took paid for the couples wedding, bought them a new car, covered rent in a New York City Apartment and gave them hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds.

Attorney Luke Lirot, who represents the couple, denies all of the allegations.

“They had no idea the money was stolen from USF,” Lirot said. “Puglisi convinced them he had reached levels of financial success. He was a good liar.”

In a pair of motions for summary judgment, USF stated “an adverse inference should be drawn” against the Ruths from their decision to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights against self- incrimination.

A summary judgment involves the court making a decision without a trial.

According to USF, about a year after Puglisi began the illegal transactions, he recruited Francisca Ruth to join mygirlfund.com as a model and eventually sent her $2.7 million. Puglisi told investigators he advised her to send 60% of it back, allowing her to keep the rest.

The motions state Puglisi claims the Ruths knew the money was stolen from USF, but Lirot insists his clients were unaware of that.

“He decided he wasn’t going to take the heat on his own and implicated everyone,” Lirot said. “We’re mounting the best defense we can.”

Regarding the Ruths’ decision not to answer any questions about the allegations, Lirot said, “We’re trying to figure out the best way we can to explain the position my clients were in.”

There are more than a dozen other defendants in the civil case, including Puglisi’s ex-wife, Mygirlfund, LLC, and another website performer who he claims received about $6 million.

In his motion for a shorter sentence, Puglisi claimed the woman said “she was in love with him, leading him to believe that they were in an actual relationship.”

USF’s attorneys have not yet responded to a request for comment.

Puglisi, representing himself in the civil matter, is locked up at the Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman and was unavailable for comment.