Corey Louis Hendrickson, a former mayor and alderman of Willard, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that lasted nearly five years, resulting in the theft of almost $300,000 from more than 500 truck drivers employed by his company.
Hendrickson, 46, of Springfield, Missouri, received a three-year federal prison sentence without the possibility of parole from U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. He has also been ordered to pay $298,737 in restitution to his victims.
Hendrickson pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023, to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He served as the mayor of Willard from 2015 to 2021 before being elected as an alderman in 2022. Hendrickson resigned from his position on the Willard Board of Aldermen on the same day as his guilty plea.
Court documents reveal that Hendrickson gained unauthorized access to the fuel expense accounts of over 500 truck drivers, conducting more than 1,000 fraudulent transactions. These actions resulted in at least $298,737 being stolen from his victims. The fraudulent activities spanned from Sept. 9, 2016, to Aug. 17, 2021.
At the time, Hendrickson was employed as a fleet dispatcher for Prime, Incorporated, a freight transportation and logistics trucking company headquartered in Springfield. Prime utilized ComData as a payment processor and issuer of fleet fuel cards, which managed the financial accounts of Prime drivers to cover fuel costs. Funds deposited into each driver’s ComData account were used for driving-related expenses such as fuel, with drivers accessing these funds through ComData cards.
Hendrickson exploited his access to driver accounts to steal identity information and siphon nearly $300,000 from funds allocated for fuel expenses. He transferred the stolen money into his personal bank accounts.
The losses experienced by Hendrickson’s victims varied, ranging from less than $100 to $6,495 per account, with the average loss amounting to a few hundred dollars per Prime driver’s account.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney and investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department.
