Minnesota State Wire

Christopher Erik Septon, a 52-year-old resident of Plymouth, Minnesota, has been indicted on charges related to the embezzlement of more than $1 million from his former employer. The announcement was made 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 the indictment, Septon was employed by Ellis Properties, a family-owned commercial real estate company based in Minneapolis, from 2010 until 2024 when the alleged embezzlement came to light. During his time at the company, Septon had authority over company funds used for paying vendors and contractors.

The indictment alleges that Septon abused this trust by making unauthorized charges totaling over $800,000 on the company's credit card. These payments were reportedly directed into accounts he controlled. To conceal these actions, Septon is accused of entering false information into transaction memos to make it appear that payments were legitimate business expenses rather than transfers to himself.

In addition to misusing the company credit card, Septon allegedly obtained reimbursement checks for business expenses he claimed to have paid personally but had not actually incurred. The indictment states that he used fake invoices and emails as part of this scheme.

The charging documents further allege that Septon impersonated several government agencies—including the City of Minneapolis, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency—to obtain money from Ellis Properties under false pretenses by claiming debts owed to these entities and redirecting funds for his own benefit.

Prosecutors say profits from these activities were moved between accounts before being retained by Septon. In total, more than $1 million was allegedly embezzled from Ellis Properties.

Septon appeared in court for the first time yesterday and faces four counts of wire fraud along with one count of money laundering.

The investigation involved IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is handling prosecution duties in this case.

An indictment is an allegation only; under law, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.