Caleb Keller, 38, of New Albany, Indiana, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, Keller began working for his employer in 2011, shortly after graduating college. Between April 2017 and June 2021, Keller created and submitted 101 false and fraudulent invoices to his employer through his side business, Polyglot Developers. He fabricated two fictitious employees, “Matt Pearson” and “Grant Miller,” and drafted false invoices billing his employer for services allegedly performed by these non-existent employees.
For instance, on April 29, 2019, Keller submitted a $19,940 invoice to his employer for services purportedly rendered by four employees, including $15,200 for services allegedly provided by the two fictitious employees. When an executive at his employer grew suspicious and demanded a meeting with “Matt Pearson,” Keller impersonated Pearson on a Zoom call using a video filter.
The ruse was uncovered during the meeting, leading to Keller’s termination and the end of his employer’s relationship with Polyglot.
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In April 2022, Keller was interviewed by law enforcement investigators and falsely insisted that Pearson and Miller were real employees who provided services to his employer. However, in a subsequent interview in July 2022, Keller admitted that the purported employees were fake and that he had impersonated Pearson on the Zoom call.
Keller’s scheme deceived his employer into paying him approximately $1,210,120 for work they believed was completed by fictitious employees of Polyglot. He used the fraudulently obtained money for personal expenses.
“Trusted employees can cause tremendous harm to a business when they exploit their positions to steal and cover it up,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Protecting Hoosiers and Hoosier businesses from fraud is a top priority for federal law enforcement. Thanks to the efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, and our federal prosecutor, this criminal has been held accountable for his actions. The federal prison sentence imposed here should be a warning to would-be fraudsters that economic crimes can lead to paying a very serious price.”
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“The defendant betrayed the trust of his company through his deceit and web of lies for his personal gain and this sentence sends a clear message that there are consequences for such greed,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI is committed to continuing to root out these white-collar criminals and ensure they are held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who engage in wire fraud and money laundering schemes will be held accountable,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Our dedicated special agents worked tirelessly to uncover this long-running scheme, and this outcome underscores our commitment to bringing justice to individuals like Caleb Keller, who exploit and defraud their employers. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and prosecute those who violate the trust placed in them, ensuring that financial crimes do not go unpunished.”
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