McCordsville man gets nearly 4 years for wire fraud conspiracy
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A McCordsville man was sentenced to 47 months for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the department, 31-year-old Wesley Smith, who worked for Seven Corners, a travel insurance business in Carmel, used his position to set up a system in order to secure and steal money from the business.
Smith, in a scheme that went from Dec. 2015 to Dec. 2017, created and also approved fake insurance claims that were purportedly submitted by Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) claimants. Smith, along with three friends he recruited who did not work for the business, used names of real FMCA members on claims, saying that the person’s RV had been towed by a company that was looking to be reimbursed.
The department said Smith then had the fraudulent claims sent to his three other accomplices who were identified as people with the towing companies. A press release states that after obtaining the funds, the co-conspirators sent about one-half of the money back to Smith via wire transfer.
This process occurred on 38 separate occasions.
In addition to that scheme, the DOJ says Smith was involved in other illegal operations. He sent other falsified claims through the FMCA program. Also, he used the company’s credit card for 235 fraudulent purchases, buying airline tickets and hotel stays for himself, friends and family. He also caused six medical overpayments to be sent to his bank personal bank account.
The business suffered a total loss from all of the schemes of more than $758,000.
“Stealing from your employer or any corporate business, not only affects that business, it eventually affects us all,” said Acting U. S. Attorney John E. Childress. “Smith was placed in a position of trust to make honest decisions, instead he allowed greed to dictate his decisions and he is now being held accountable.”
In addition to nearly four years in prison, Smith has been ordered to pay back $758,164.90 and will be on 2-years supervised release after prison.
