A routine shift at a St. Louis-area grocery distribution center was anything but routine, prosecutors say. A Florissant man is accused of quietly engineering a months-long scheme that siphoned more than $250,000 from a grocery chain by inventing phantom shipments and bogus payouts.
Richard Lind, 39, has been indicted on five counts of wire fraud and entered a not-guilty plea in St. Louis County court this week. Authorities allege the operation involved hundreds of fraudulent transactions that moved through trucking invoices and electronic payment codes tied to the distribution center. The case is still in its early stages as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare for the next round of court dates.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
According to charging documents, Lind was working as a site manager for a logistics company based at the grocery distribution center when the alleged scheme unfolded. Prosecutors say he created fake records for shipments that never existed, then followed up with fabricated invoices from trucking companies supposedly seeking reimbursement.
Those invoices, investigators contend, generated electronic payment authorization codes that Lind then used to withdraw cash at truck stops. The maneuver allegedly triggered more than 600 fraudulent payments and drained the company of over $250,000, as reported by First Alert 4.
Not an isolated problem
Cases that exploit the back end of the grocery business, where inventory and invoices are supposed to quietly match up, have become a recurring headache for retailers. In August 2025 the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced an indictment of an Ohio grocer accused of taking more than $15 million from a Missouri grocery chain, a reminder of how quickly gaps in ordering and billing systems can balloon into seven-figure losses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
That earlier prosecution is one reason industry insiders say retailers and suppliers are trying to tighten internal checks on orders, deliveries and payment authorizations before money goes out the door.
Court posture
Lind was indicted on April 22 and appeared in court this week to formally enter a not-guilty plea, according to local reporting. The outlet did not name the grocery chain or the logistics employer involved, and prosecutors have not issued a public statement with additional specifics, according to First Alert 4.
The case will now move through the usual steps in St. Louis County court, including scheduling, any pretrial motions and future hearings, with filings on the docket expected to lay out more detail about the alleged losses and any potential restitution.
What the charges can mean
Wire fraud is a federal crime and, in federal court, a conviction can carry serious time. Federal press releases note that defendants can face up to 20 years in prison on each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Lind is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. For now, the court docket will serve as the official scorecard of what happens next, from the next hearing date to any plea talks or trial setting and any restitution claims that might follow.
