- Two Amarillo men pleaded guilty to wire fraud on April 13, 2022 after defrauding a cattle feed supplement manufacturer out of more than $474,000, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The company hired Thomas to manage its Dimmitt, Texas plant in October 2014, giving him the discretion to approve repair and maintenance projects costing up to $3,000. In November 2016, Thomas asked Westway's accounting department to add Jones as an approved contractor. He then created two invoices for welding that he said Jones performed, one for $1,490 and another for $1,200.
The scheme continued into March 2020 as Thomas and Jones repeatedly submitted fraudulent invoices to Westway's accounting department. The company paid out the money to Jones, who then split the cash with Thomas.