Randall Griffin, 46, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was charged Oct. 18 with mail fraud, for operating an embezzlement scheme, during which he stole more than $1 million from his former employer, Lasko Products, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A criminal information filed yesterday charged Griffin with embezzling $1,006,293.58 through a scheme that began in 2009 and continued until August 2017, while Griffin was employed as a maintenance technician for Lasko Products, a home appliance manufacturing and distribution company located in Franklin, Tennessee.
According to the charging document, Griffin carried out the scheme by creating and falsifying purchase orders and invoices for equipment parts, causing Lasko checks to be sent to a series of post office boxes that he opened under various false business names.
Griffin created fake business names that closely resembled legitimate vendors with whom Lasko conducted business. Griffin also created bank accounts for each business and ultimately deposited the funds sent to these accounts into his personal bank account.
If convicted, Griffin faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution of the full amount. The government also seeks forfeiture of any and all proceeds derived from the scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers.
The charge is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.