Employee Guilty of Wire Fraud Causing His Employer A Loss of Over $565,000.00

Contact Person: David Stephens (864) 282-2100

Greenville, South Carolina ----Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that on July 20, 2016, Mark Nigel Wilkins, age 49, formerly of Lexington, South Carolina entered a plea of guilty in Federal Court in Greenville, South Carolina before the Honorable Bruce H. Hendricks.  Mr. Wilkins pled guilty to Wire Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.  He faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens, who is in charge the prosecution, advised Judge Hendricks of the following facts during the guilty plea hearing.  Mr. Wilkins was employed by Michelin North America as a Technical Service Manager.  Part of his duties was the purchase of millions of dollars’ worth of items for Michelin’s use each year.  Mr. Wilkins paid for these items using a company issued credit card or with his own funds for which he was reimbursed.  Beginning in January, 2009 Mr. Wilkins began using the company issued credit card for non-authorized items which he converted to his own use.  Additionally, Mr. Wilkins turned in false expense account vouchers claiming that he had made company purchases, which he had not, and received monetary reimbursements for such vouchers.   This pattern of theft continued until December, 2014.

Mr. Wilkins will be sentenced at a later date after completion of a Presentence Investigative report.

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