NEW ALBANY — A Jackson County man faces federal prison time after using an employee credit card to steal more than $200,000 worth of copper wire from his employer and selling it to a local scrap yard for personal profit.
Clyde Shane Hatton, 47, of Seymour, has been formally charged with one count of felony wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, Hatton has already signed a federal plea agreement admitting to the scheme.
Federal court documents reveal that Hatton spent nearly two decades employed in various electrician-related capacities for an unnamed Indiana-based manufacturing corporation. Federal prosecutors referred to the business in court filings as “Victim Company A,” describing it as a regional entity that designs, manufactures, and distributes vehicle and engine parts.
As part of his routine work duties, Hatton was entrusted with an employee credit card to cover legitimate, business-related expenses.
However, investigators say that beginning in October 2020, Hatton weaponized that credit access to orchestrate a systematic embezzlement scheme. Over 14 months, Hatton used the corporate card to purchase copper wire and related industrial equipment with zero intention of using the materials for company projects.
Instead, Hatton transported the clean, uninstalled wire directly to a regional scrap yard, sold the metal for immediate cash, and pocketed the proceeds for his personal use. To conceal the routine thefts, Hatton generated and submitted altered or fabricated receipts to the company’s accounting department, falsely asserting that the bulk material orders were for legitimate corporate maintenance and installation jobs.
Federal prosecutors tracked an extensive pattern of theft before the corporate fraud was ultimately flagged and handed over to law enforcement:
- Timeline of Fraud: October 2020 through December 2021
- Scrap Yard Transactions: 107 individual fraudulent sales
- Total Stolen Value: $202,173.51
The multi-agency investigation was led by the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office. Because credit card processing involves electronic communications that cross state lines, the embezzlement fell under federal jurisdiction as wire fraud.
Under the terms of the newly filed plea agreement, Hatton will formally enter a change of plea before a U.S. District Court judge in Indianapolis. He has agreed to pay $202,174 in restitution to his former employer, alongside a separate forfeiture of $73,523 representing the direct personal cash proceeds he generated from the scrap transactions.
The felony wire fraud charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of:
- Up to 20 years in federal prison.
- Up to 3 years of supervised release.
- A maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross financial gain or loss.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood is prosecuting the case. Hatton’s initial federal court appearance and formal plea entry are scheduled at the federal courthouse on June 30.
