GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (From news reports) -- A North Carolina man will spend 15 months in prison for his role in a scheme to steal $1.7 million from Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Andrew Coleman, 43, of Winston-Salem, conspired with Neenah resident Daniel Kersten to submit fraudulent purchase orders to Kimberly-Clark and then share the proceeds of the fraud. He was charged May 8 with wire fraud and reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on May 31.
U.S. District Court Judge William Griesbach handed down the sentence Tuesday morning during a hearing in federal court in Green Bay. The sentence includes three years of supervision after Coleman serves his prison sentence and a joint order with Kersten to repay $1.7 million.
Coleman has so far repaid $450,000.
Federal sentencing guidelines recommended between 33 and 41 months in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Jacobs argued for 24 months.Coleman's attorney, Joseph E. Zeszotarski, requested 12 months and one day.
"(Coleman) showed weakness in engaging in this conduct, but has shown strength in how he's dealt with it when confronted," Zeszotarski said. "... He recognizes how badly he's acted and how badly he's mucked up his life with this offense."
Griesbach said he gave Coleman a shorter sentence than Kersten, who will spend three years in prison, because he accepted responsibility, showed remorse, cooperated with prosecutors and repaid a portion of the money.
"He went above and beyond what most people do when they're caught," Griesbach said. "I think the remorse I hear from Mr. Coleman is sincere."
Coleman admitted he was motivated by greed. He said he's motivated to repay Kimberly-Clark and teach his 3-year-old son about accountability and responsibility.
"This was the greatest mistake of my life and it's entirely my fault," Coleman told Griesbach. "I'm hoping to make some good out of this. This experience will serve as a painful reminder for the rest of my life."
According to court documents, Kersten was working as a consumer promotion manager when he issued fraudulent purchase orders to Coleman's company, Rogue Two Marketing, between April 2016 and February 2017.
Kersten was authorized to spend no more than $200,000 with the company, but Kimberly-Clark paid $1.77 million to Rogue Two between July 2016 and February 2017.
Coleman submitted the invoices to Kimberly-Clark for services he claimed he provided. In reality, Coleman said, the business had provided little or no service to the company.
As he received the money, Coleman would send Kersten 50 to 60 percent of the proceeds. Kersten fabricated invoices from a business he owns to make Coleman's bank transfers look legitimate, court documents state.
Kersten, 46, of Neenah, was charged on April 24 with one count of wire fraud, which carried a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Griesbach sentenced him to three years in prison, three years of extended supervision.
