Ex-Arkansas business executive pleads guilty to stealing $250,000 in company funds

A former business executive from Arkansas has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $250,000 in company funds for his own personal use.

Blaine Francis Houser, 52, of Dover entered the plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Kristine G. Baker on one count of mail fraud in a scheme that began in September 2012 and continued through April 2015, according to a news release.

Houser, the former senior vice president of Icon Communications of Russellville, opened a commercial credit application in the company's name with Blue Tarp Financial Inc. of Portland, Maine, then purchased tools by mail order through Northern Tool & Equipment Co., U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer said.

Sentencing for Houser will happen at a later, unannounced date, according to the federal attorney.

The mail fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

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