Christopher Erik Septon, a 52-year-old resident of Plymouth, Minnesota, has been indicted on charges of embezzling more than $1 million from his former employer, Ellis Properties. The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“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.”
According to court documents, Septon worked at Ellis Properties—a family-owned commercial real estate company in Minneapolis—from 2010 until 2024 when the alleged embezzlement was discovered. He was responsible for using company funds to pay vendors and contractors but allegedly used this authority to direct over $800,000 from the company credit card into his own payment-processing accounts.
The indictment states that Septon concealed these transactions by writing false descriptions in transaction memos and making it appear that payments were made to legitimate third parties instead of himself. Additionally, he is accused of obtaining fraudulent reimbursement checks using fake invoices and emails to claim expenses he had not paid.
Part of the scheme involved impersonating government agencies such as the City of Minneapolis, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. By doing so without their knowledge, Septon allegedly convinced Ellis Properties that certain payments were owed to these agencies but redirected the funds for personal use.
Investigators report that hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits from the fraud were moved between accounts before being retained by Septon. In total, more than $1 million was taken from Ellis Properties.
Septon appeared in court yesterday and faces four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
The investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
Authorities remind that an indictment is only an allegation; Septon is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
