SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A former Willard alderman resigned his position at yesterday’s meeting, the same day he entered a guilty plea in federal court for stealing nearly $300,000 from his former employer, Prime, Inc.

Sam Baird, another Willard alderman, confirmed that Corey Louis Hendrickson is no longer serving on the Board of Aldermen.

According to court documents, Hendrickson used his position at Prime, Inc., a Springfield trucking company, to embezzle funds from fuel expense accounts from 2016 to 2021, while he served as Willard’s mayor.

Documents explain that Hendrickson worked for Prime, Inc. as a fleet dispatcher, where he had access to drivers’ personal information. In his position, Hendrickson accessed the ComData accounts of at least 500 people and conducted over 1,000 fraudulent transactions.

Prime, Inc. contracted with ComData to serve as a payment processor and issuer of fleet fuel cards and maintain accounts used to pay for expenses as needed by drivers. Prime, Inc. had the ability to add funds to a driver’s ComData account to pay for driving expenses like fuel.

Hendrickson would use the names and Social Security numbers of drivers to take money from their ComData accounts, then wrote checks to himself to cash or deposit into his personal accounts.

Prime, Inc., records show the victims’ losses ranged anywhere from $100 to as much as $6,495.

Hendrickson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The wire fraud charge carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.