A former Mars Wrigley environmental manager admitted to stealing more than $500,000 from recycled commodity sales during his time at a Mars factory in Flowery Branch, Georgia. | Proxima Studio/Shutterstock
A recycling program manager at a Mars Wrigley factory in Georgia has pleaded guilty to fraud, admitting he took money generated from selling the factory’s recyclables and spent it on hunting trips, church donations and other personal expenditures.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia on Aug. 21 announced that Michael Mayfield pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mayfield, a former Mars Wrigley environmental manager, admitted to stealing more than $500,000 in revenue from recycled commodity sales during his time managing the recycling program at a Mars factory in Flowery Branch. The thefts took place from December 2016 through October 2022.
Mayfield is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
“The recycling waste produced at the factory was valuable and companies often made direct payments or sent Mars Wrigley rebate checks after disposal of the material,” the attorney’s office stated.
According to the indictment, the factory contracted with hauler U.S. Waste Industries to collect its recyclables, sell them and return a portion of the commodity value through rebates. As program manager, Mayfield directed the hauler to send the rebate checks to a company called WWJ Recycling, which he registered in his name. He also controlled a bank account registered to WWJ Recycling. The company name shares the initials of William Wrigley Jr., founder of the Wrigley Company.
Prosecutors said Mayfield spent more than $100,000 of these embezzled funds on hunting trips, more than $80,000 on a church donation, and more than $200,000 in personal checks. All told, the fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000.
In a separate, concurrent fraud, Mayfield and a co-conspirator created false invoices from a company that supplied safety equipment to the Mars factory. Through the scheme, Mayfield and the accomplice created invoices showing safety supply purchase, and received payment from Mars to cover those transactions. But instead they bought football supplies for a local team, paid for stadium improvements, bought gift cards and more.
Through the combined schemes, the court alleged Mayfield stole more than $1 million from Mars Wrigley.