BENTON – The former assistant director of the Massac County Emergency Management Agency faces federal fraud charges Tuesday after an East St. Louis grand jury returned an eight count indictment against him Tuesday.
Twenty-nine-year-old Christopher Thompson of Kevil, Kentucky, is accused of devising and participating in a scheme to defraud Massac County and private businesses to obtain money, credit and property.
According to the indictment, Thompson operated his fraudulent scheme from November 2018 to September 2019 in Massac County and elsewhere. Thompson is alleged to have obtained over $49,000 in money and property for himself using Massac County EMA’s existing accounts and by creating new accounts in its name. Additionally, he allegedly used the accounts to charge personal expenses and kept the new accounts hidden from Massac County government.
Thompson was charged with one count of wire fraud and seven counts of mail fraud. Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He’s currently out on bond pending his jury trial, set for Nov. 30 in Benton.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI.