Plymouth man embezzled more than $1 million over 14 years: Charges

PLYMOUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - Federal charges have been filed against a man from Plymouth who is accused of embezzling more than $1 million from a Minneapolis real estate company he used to work for. 

Christopher Erik Septon, 52, of Plymouth, is charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. 

Plymouth man charged with embezzlement 

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The indictment states that Septon worked for Ellis Properties from 2010 to 2024, when his fraudulent activity was discovered. 

Law enforcement officials say Septon's role was to pay vendors, contractors and other third parties with company funds. He then used this position to embezzle from the company, charging more than $800,000 on the company credit card and "directing the payments to his own payment-processing accounts," charges say. 

Septon is also accused of using reimbursement checks to fraudulently claim business expenses he paid personally. This was allegedly done by using fake invoices, fake emails, and other deceptive means.

The indictment also states Septon used names of state and city agencies to falsely claim Ellis Properties owed payments to them and directed hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to himself instead. 

Court records show Septon was previously convicted of a similar crime in 2008 and ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution.  

What they're saying:

"Fraudsters never stop inventing new ways to steal, and Septon’s crime — posing as government agencies in his scheme to embezzle more than a million dollars — was no exception," said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. "The fraudsters of Minnesota should understand this: No matter how clever the con, we are coming for you, and you will face federal justice."