Evergreen Reporter

Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, has announced that Robert E. Carter from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced to three years in prison for wire fraud and attempted wire fraud. The sentencing took place on October 17, 2024, under U.S. District Judge William M. Conley following Carter's conviction on July 16, 2024.

Carter's fraudulent activities began in 2018 when he expressed interest in acquiring a trucking company based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He fabricated stories about owning private jets and a yacht to persuade the owners into selling their trucking and brokerage companies for $10 million. As part of his scheme, Carter sent a letter of intent requesting sensitive business information under the pretense of due diligence. Although he later withdrew from the deal, he retained the financial statements for two years.

In 2020, Carter altered these financial documents to make them appear as if they belonged to his businesses. He used these falsified statements to obtain three semi-trucks and two trailers from an equipment leasing company fraudulently.

Concurrently, Carter downloaded financial statements from the Internet belonging to a charitable trust in Iowa and altered them similarly. He submitted these fake documents to another leasing company in an attempt to lease ten more semi-trucks fraudulently.

Judge Conley emphasized Carter's criminal history during sentencing, noting previous convictions for fraud.

The investigation leading to Carter's charges was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with support from the Office of the U.S. Trustee for the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chadwick M. Elgersma and Megan R. Stelljes prosecuted the case.