Lakeville Worker, Others Accused Of Conspiring To Defraud Co. Out Of $1.8M
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 43-year-old Lakeville food packaging plant employee has been indicted for allegedly conspiring with others to defraud his company out of more than $1.8 million, the United States Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
According to the indictment and document filed in court, Charles Michael Coles conspired with and recruited his co-conspirators -- Steve Crook, Aaron Ash, Darren Gardner, Jacqueline Robinson and William Dampier – to create fictitious industrial supply companies.
Coles allegedly devised a scheme to defraud his employer, an Illinois-based food packaging and processing company, by submitting false invoices for industrial supplies and parts purportedly supplied by the fictitious industrial supply companies. He was employed as a buyer and inventory coordinator.
Coles is specifically charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud. The others each face one count of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The defendants are expected to make initial court appearances on Dec. 15, 2014 in St. Paul.