FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — A Georgia man was sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly stealing more than a million dollars from his employer in Flowery Branch.
According to U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan, 55-year-old Michael Mayfield stole from the Mars Wrigley Plant where he worked as an environmental manager.
Mayfield is accused of stealing rebate checks to Mars Wrigley after the disposal of recycling waste.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mayfield “fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000″ and used the money to “pay for hunting trips worth more than $100,000, a donation to his church for more than $80,000, and more than $200,000 in personal checks.”
Officials said Mayfield had a co-conspirator who created fake invoices from Mars Wrigley supplier ASA Safety Supply. He is also accused of having ASA Safety Supply send the invoices to himself to request payment from Mars Wrigley.
Officials said the invoices from WWJ Recycle totaled more than $750,000 and that “Mayfield engaged in this scheme from as early as December 2016 until sometime in 2022.”
The USDOJ said Mars ended up paying more than $1.2 million as a result of Mayfield’s fraudulent scheme.
Mayfield has to serve three years in prison, then three more years of supervised release, as well as pay $1.27 million in restitution.