Christopher Erik Septon, a 52-year-old resident of Plymouth, Minnesota, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly embezzling more than $1 million from his former employer, Ellis Properties. The indictment was announced 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 worked at Ellis Properties—a family-run commercial real estate business based in Minneapolis—from 2010 until 2024 when the alleged embezzlement was discovered. In his role at the company, Septon had authority over company funds and was responsible for paying vendors and contractors.
Prosecutors allege that Septon abused this trust by charging more than $800,000 on the company credit card and diverting these payments into accounts he controlled. He reportedly concealed these transfers by writing misleading memos that made it appear they were legitimate business transactions with third parties.
The indictment also states that Septon obtained reimbursement checks for expenses he claimed to have paid personally but had not actually incurred. Investigators say he used fabricated invoices and emails to convince other employees to issue these checks.
In addition to misusing company funds directly, Septon is accused of impersonating several government agencies—including the City of Minneapolis, Metropolitan Council, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency—to falsely claim that Ellis Properties owed payments to those entities while redirecting the money to himself.
Authorities report that hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits from the scheme were moved through multiple accounts before being kept by Septon. In total, over $1 million was allegedly stolen 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 into this case involved IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting.
An indictment is only an allegation; under law, defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
