BLAINE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Blaine man has been indicted on charges of wire fraud after offering potential jobseekers employment during sales pitches, then taking their deposits.
Charles Edward Fields, 43, devised an employment opportunity scheme that defrauded 250 potential workers out of approximately $600,000, according to charges.
According to court documents, Fields offered employment through a series of companies he owned and operated, including, HOMESoft Systems Inc., WaterTek Marketing Corporation, Water Innovations Group, Inc., W I G Holdings Corporation, Mile High H20 Corporation, and the NEW H20.
Fields claimed that after applicants paid him an upfront deposit of approximately $3,000 to $5,000, he would hire them as sales contractors to sell products nationwide to the public, primarily home security or water filtration systems. As part of the scheme, Fields also misrepresented his affiliation with a long-standing international company that designs and distributes various models of water machines and filtration systems.
Fields routinely posted nationwide online employment advertisements promising jobseekers training, sales leads, and "$6,000 in guaranteed monthly profit," according to court documents.
In order to conceal his fraud, Fields told victims excuses as to why he was unable to fulfill his promises, or to return their funds for opportunities that never materialized as promised.
In total, Fields defrauded at least 250 victims of at least $600,000.
Fields is scheduled to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on June 30, 2023.
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.