Kevin Antonio Fields, 32, admitted he was a part of a conspiracy to defraud Temple-Inland Inc. of $4.8 million over a two-year period, and pleaded guilty to one count wire fraud and a second count of money laundering.
Fields, a former lumber tractor-trailer driver, is accused of working with eight others to defraud the timber company by manipulating weight house scales to produce two weight payment tickets on one delivery. Fields was recruited by head conspirator and weight house employee Aaron Freeman, according to the initial indictment.
Fields then recruited six others and oversaw the majority of the wire transactions.
Fields appeared Tuesday in federal court where admitted before Judge Robert L. Vinings that he took part generating payments for “phantom” timber deliveries and conspired with timber brokers to transfer funs electronically to others involved in the conspiracy.
Fields could face up to 30 years in prison on both charges and three years of supervised release for each count.
He could also pay restitution and a maximum fine of $240,000 for the count of wire fraud.
Additionally, Fields could be ordered to pay $3.6 million, twice the amount of criminally derived property he acquired as well potentially be ordered restitution.
Fields agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors to provide any documents that could be used as evidence relating to the case. Fields also agreed to testify if necessary.
Rome News Tribune
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