South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty To Mail Fraud

CINCINNATI – Christopher Outlaw, 46, of Moore, S.C., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to mail fraud.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.

According to court documents, beginning in at least 2005 through August 2012, Outlaw embezzled more than $1.9 million from his former employer.

Outlawwas employed by FTZ Industries, Inc. FTZ is a manufacturer of electrical products for transportation, plant maintenance, marine and custom applications, located in Simpsonville, South Carolina.  FTZ is a division of ILSCO Corporation, which is an electrical connector manufacturing company located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The defendant embezzled money by impersonating a former vendor of his employer.  Specifically, the defendant opened a bank account in false affiliation with Molex Incorporated, a company that provides electrical components to its customers, which previously included FTZ.  Outlaw submitted to his employer fictitious invoices that appeared to be from Molex.  In reality, however, FTZ had not received any products from Molex because the invoices that Outlaw submitted were fake.  Through the fictitious invoices, Outlaw would direct his employer to send payments to Molex to a mailbox that he had opened in Georgia in Molex’s name.

Mail fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation by the FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Emily N. Glatfelter, who is representing the United States in this case.