St. Charles Man Admits $400,000 Embezzlement

ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles, Missouri on Thursday admitted embezzling more than $400,000 from his employer.

Talon Lewis, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of mail fraud. He admitted that from Oct. 21, 2019, to at least Feb. 19, 2025, he hatched the scheme while working as an accounts payable specialist at a medical business. Lewis routinely received lists of patients who were owed refunds and was supposed to upload that information so the company could generate and mail refund checks. Lewis added fake patients to the refund lists and then had refunds sent to him or to the homes of friends and acquaintances. Those friends and acquaintances then kicked back 30% of the money they fraudulently received to Lewis. He admitted stealing more than $400,000 in this manner.

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16. Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both prison and a fine.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.