Kevin Grimm Indicted in $1.7M Herman Miller Fraud Scheme

Kevin John Grimm of Coopersville, Michigan, has been hit with a federal indictment alleging his central role in a $1.77 million fraud scheme targeting global furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc. A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Grimm with conspiracy and money laundering, capping a years-long investigation into a vendor invoicing scam that bled the company for half a decade.

Grimm allegedly partnered with Jerry Akers to orchestrate the fraud, creating a shell company, KJ Gas Transportation, LLC, to submit fake invoices for natural gas services never rendered. Between June 2010 and July 2015, Herman Miller wired approximately $1,772,726 to Grimm’s company based on falsified documentation emailed directly to company personnel. Investigators say no legitimate services were ever provided.

The indictment details how Grimm used the illicit proceeds to fund a lavish purchase—a $155,000 down payment to a Florida yacht dealer for a 49-foot sailboat in 2015. That transaction forms the basis of the money laundering charge, exposing a trail of fraud that reached from West Michigan boardrooms to luxury marine dealerships.

Akers, previously charged in December 2016, already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with the same scheme. At the time, prosecutors acknowledged the existence of an unnamed co-conspirator—now confirmed as Kevin Grimm. Akers admitted to collaborating directly with Grimm, falsifying invoices and bypassing internal controls at Herman Miller.

U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney is set to sentence Akers on May 1, 2017, in Kalamazoo, while Grimm now faces trial after being formally identified and charged. The case underscores the reach of financial fraud within corporate supply chains and the lengths perpetrators go to conceal phantom operations.

The Grand Rapids office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. As with all federal indictments, Kevin Grimm is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan continues to pursue full accountability in the case.