Environmental Manager Sentenced for $1.2 Million Fraud Scheme Targeting Employer in Hall County
Michael Mayfield, 55, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for defrauding his employer, Mars Wrigley, of over $1.2 million through a scheme involving false invoices and misappropriated payments.
As an environmental manager at the Mars Wrigley factory in Flowery Branch, Mayfield oversaw the Health, Safety, and Environmental and Recycling Programs. From December 2016 to 2022, he devised a plan to divert rebate checks and submit fraudulent invoices for personal gain.
According to court documents, Mayfield diverted over $500,000 in rebate checks from recycling companies to his own business, WWJ Recycling. He used the funds for personal expenses, including more than $100,000 for hunting trips, over $80,000 in church donations, and $200,000 in personal checks.
Additionally, Mayfield collaborated with a co-conspirator to create false invoices from ASA Safety Supply, a supplier to Mars Wrigley. These invoices included purchases for personal items, such as football supplies and stadium improvements for Flowery Branch High School, as well as tickets to University of Georgia football games and gift cards. The false invoices totaled over $199,000.
Mayfield also sent invoices from WWJ Recycling to ASA Safety Supply, which were paid by his co-conspirator and later submitted as false claims to Mars Wrigley for non-existent work, totaling more than $750,000.
In total, Mars Wrigley incurred losses exceeding $1.2 million due to Mayfield’s scheme.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story sentenced Mayfield to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $1,269,457.56 in restitution. Mayfield pleaded guilty to the charges on August 19, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
