Ryan S. Kent, 44, of Festus has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for stealing $854,544.37 from a St. Louis pharmaceutical manufacturing facility where he worked as a maintenance supervisor for more than four years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Kent pleaded guilty Aug. 3 to wire fraud, admitting to falsifying reimbursement documents that were transmitted from the St. Louis facility to the company’s headquarters in Peachtree City, Ga. On Nov. 22, he was sentenced to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John A. Ross in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Kent also was ordered to repay the stolen money, according to court documents.
Kent worked at the St. Louis pharmaceutical facility from July 2017 through October 2021 and was responsible for repairing broken equipment or buying new equipment. As part of his duties, he would be reimbursed after purchasing supplies and equipment for the facility and for any travel expenses he incurred while performing his duties, according to his plea agreement.
He doctored receipts to inflate the amount of company purchases he made with his debit and credit cards, and he falsified documents to be reimbursed for fictitious purchases and travel costs. He also purchased supplies at Home Depot, returned the items for a refund and submitted the receipts for reimbursement from the company, the agreement said.
Kent used the money to pay personal bills; cover the cost to upgrade his backyard; buy a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2021 Cadillac Escalade; and travel to Las Vegas to gamble, according to the agreement.
“People who embezzle should know their crime will eventually come to light despite their best attempts at covering their tracks,” said Jay Greenberg, special agent in charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In this case, Ryan Kent’s employer contacted the FBI when an internal investigation revealed possible fraud. Kent will now have time to ponder how his selfish greed earned him 33 months in federal prison.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.