FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          CONTACT:  DAVILYN WALSTON
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008                      PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/txe                                        PHONE: (409) 839-2538
                                                                                                 CELL: (409) 553-9881

PLANO MAN SENTENCED FOR MAIL FRAUD

SHERMAN, TX -       United States Attorney John L. Ratcliffe announced today that a 36-year-old Plano man has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for mail fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas. 

            WILLIAM CHAD MERCER, a/k/a BRYSON MERCER, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2007 to fraudulently obtaining over $5 million from his former-employer, Sage Telecom, Inc., and was sentenced today by United States District Judge Michael H. Schneider.  Mercer was also order to pay over $2.4 million in restitution and to forfeit almost $2.7 million.

            According to information presented in court, between March 2004 through November 2005, Mercer submitted false invoices to Sage Telecom representing that temporary employment services totaling $5,130,407.48 had been provided when they had not.  A federal indictment charging Mercer with 10 counts of mail fraud was returned by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2007.  Mercer remained a fugitive until he was arrested in August 2007. 

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri L. Hagan.

           
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