If You Are into Fraud, This Might Be the Accountant for You!
Charles Gilbert, an assistant treasurer of Fru-Con Construction Corp., one of the largest such firms in the St. Louis metro area, pled guilty for defrauding Fru-Con in a $5 million mail fraud scheme in 2001.
It was a typical fraudulent vendor scheme, this one for a fake worker’s compensation account. He set up a payable account with a fake name, which was really his own bank account. When he was called into the boss’s office to ask about it, after they had ignored it for years, he immediately admitted it was his.
Ray Gruender, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri at the time, said in a statement, "This is one of, if not the, largest employee embezzlements ever prosecuted by this office."
I was reminded of this one because a friend in turn reminded me that I was Gilbert’s bankruptcy trustee! I guess I’ve seen so many of these things, it’s hard to keep them in mind. He was placed into bankruptcy in order have his assets sold and paid to creditors including Fru-Con.
Gilbert appears to have served a couple years in Club Fed. Court records show he still owes millions in federal taxes.
But not to be deterred, someone of the same name living in St. Louis, who appears to be the same person, is in private accounting. His website states:
I have extensive financial and tax experience including 14 years with the public accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand right here in St. Louis. I am a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia school of Business, 1978 and have been very active in the St. Louis area Lions Clubs.
My clients include small to medium size construction, manufacturing, food service and retail companies. I help business owners lower their taxes, control their cash flow and most importantly, increase their profits.The cost of accounting quickly and accurately is so small it is even amazing to me. All initial consultations are strictly confidential and provided at no cost to you.
Is he active in the Lions Club or the Liars Club? I get them confused.