Charles Hicks of Fenton, Missouri, is going to prison for 27 months after masterminding a two-and-a-half-year false invoice scheme that bled $386,000 from two of his former employers. The 54-year-old was sentenced today in federal court, ordered to pay full restitution to RockTenn Company and MarChem Company, the victims of his calculated financial deception.
Hicks, who held purchasing authority at both companies, exploited his position by creating dummy vendor accounts and submitting fraudulent invoices for payment. The scheme ran from 2019 to 2021, during which Hicks manipulated internal systems to approve and route payments to shell companies he controlled—funneling hundreds of thousands in illicit gains straight into his own pockets.
According to court documents filed as part of his plea agreement, Hicks identified as the point man for vendor selection and procurement, a role he weaponized to insert falsified billing records. The invoices appeared legitimate on the surface, but the vendors listed either didn’t exist or had no knowledge of the transactions. Payments were processed through company accounts before being diverted to Hicks’ personal control.
In October, Hicks pleaded guilty to one felony count of mail fraud, admitting to using the U.S. Postal Service to further his scheme—a key element that pushed the crime into federal jurisdiction. He appeared today for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr., who handed down the 27-month prison term and imposed the full $386,000 restitution order.
The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, agencies that traced the paper trail and digital footprints left by Hicks’ fake vendors and bank transfers. Evidence showed a pattern of deliberate concealment, including forged email chains and falsified purchase orders designed to pass internal audits.
Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus prosecuted the case, emphasizing that trust was the first victim. “Hicks wasn’t just a buyer—he was a gatekeeper,” Albus said. “He turned that responsibility into a criminal enterprise. This sentence sends a message: exploit your position like this, and you’re going to prison.”
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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