St. Louis County Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

St. Louis, MO – Charles Hicks, Fenton, Missouri, pled guilty to a one-count mail fraud indictment this afternoon. 

According to his plea agreement, Hicks devised a false invoice scheme to defraud two successive employers, RockTenn Company and MarChem Company, over the course of two and a half years.  Hicks had authority to identify vendors and authorize purchases and used dummy companies to submit and receive payments for false invoices.  In all, Hicks admitted to defrauding the two companies of $370,000.

Hicks appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. Sentencing has been set for January 4, 2017.

Hicks faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges. Restitution to the victims is also mandatory.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.