A Flowery Branch man was sentenced to federal prison on Monday for defrauding his employer, Mars-Wrigley, of over $1.2 million.
A press release from U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan’s office said Michael Mayfield, age 55, was an environmental manager at the Mars-Wrigley plant in Flowery Branch, where he oversaw the Health, Safety and Environmental and Recycling Programs.
“Mayfield devised a false invoicing scheme to betray and defraud his employer of more than $1 million,” Buchanan said. “This sentencing sends a clear message to others that our office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable for stealing from employers who trust them.”
The factory's recycled waste is valuable, and companies often make direct payments or send Mars-Wrigley rebate checks after disposing of the material. Mayfield pleaded guilty to diverting the checks to his own company, WWJ Recycling. The fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000.
Mayfield used the money to pay for hunting trips worth more than $100,000, a donation to his church for more than $80,000 and over $200,000 in personal checks.
Mayfield also had a co-conspirator create false invoices for a supplier of Mars-Wrigley, ASA Safety Supply. That co-conspirator sent the invoices to Mayfield for his personal use and then submitted false invoices from ASA Safety Supply to Mars-Wrigley for payment.
The purchased items included football supplies for the Flowery Branch High School football team, tickets to a University of Georgia football game and gift cards. These false invoices totaled over $199,000.
Mayfield also sent invoices from WWJ Recycling to ASA Safety Supply. The co-conspirator would direct ASA Safety Supply to pay the invoices and then submit falsified invoices to Mars-Wrigley for payment on work that was not done. The WWJ Recycle invoices totaled over $750,000.
Buchanan's office said Mayfield engaged in the scheme from as early as December 2016 until 2022.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story sentenced Mayfield to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Mayfield was also ordered to pay $1,269,457.56 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber
