Man Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud Factoring Companies

ATLANTA - Micky Lee Wagner, also known as "Clifton Leigh Wagner Martin," "Mickey Lee Wagner," "Leigh Wagner," "Michy Wagner," "Lee Wagner," and "Dr. Leigh," has been sentenced to federal prison for operating a scheme to defraud factoring companies of more than $5 million while using stolen identities.

"Wagner has an extensive history of devising schemes to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses and individuals," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Thanks to the diligence of our federal law enforcement partners at FBI, a measure of justice has been achieved that will also prevent Wagner from victimizing others."

"Wagner took great measures to create the fraudulent billing scheme to use these companies like his personal ATM," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley. "His actions not only harmed businesses, but also the victims of his identity theft. Wagner will now have several years behind bars to consider the impact of his actions."

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Wagner was the owner and CEO of Right Step Staffing, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia. Right Step Staffing was purportedly a personnel staffing company that provided temporary employees to other businesses. Wagner used stolen identities to create a false impression that he had workers; then he falsely claimed that his staffing company provided temporary workers to major businesses, including Kroger Distribution, Material in Motion, Duracell, and Clorox. But Right Step Staffing had no relationship with those businesses.

Based on Wagner's misrepresentations, a factoring company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida entered into a contract with Right Step Staffing to purchase its accounts receivable to collect money on outstanding invoices that businesses supposedly owed to Right Step Staffing for temporary workers. Factoring companies advance funds through these kinds of arrangements so that staffing companies can meet their payroll obligations in a timely fashion.

To further the fraud, Wagner deceived the factoring company by providing them with fraudulent customer contracts, when in fact, Right Step Staffing had no agreements with the businesses. Wagner also provided the factoring company with email addresses that supposedly belonged to representatives of the businesses, as a means to confirm that Right Step Staffing supplied employees to their businesses. The email addresses appeared similar to the real businesses' email addresses but were deceptively created by Wagner to defraud the factoring company.

After entering into the agreement, Right Step Staffing sent fraudulent invoices to the factoring company claiming that it had provided temporary workers to the businesses. These invoices totaled over $6 million during a several-month period, resulting in actual payments of more than $5 million to Wagner.

Wagner spent the fraudulent proceeds from the scheme to purchase real estate, a café, multiple luxury vehicles, plastic surgery, and a Royal Caribbean cruise, and he also diverted a substantial amount of cash for his personal use.

After his indictment in July 2022, Wagner fled to Kansas City, Missouri, where he evaded arrest for nearly a year. In July 2023, FBI agents arrested Wagner as he was leaving a residence in Kansas City. Also after his indictment in July 2022, Wagner defrauded another factoring company based in Minnesota. He stole more than $750,000 from that business. Wagner unsuccessfully attempted to defraud other factoring companies around the same time. Wagner has multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior federal fraud conviction from 2001. He fled Kansas City while on supervised release for that conviction.

Micky Lee Wagner, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to seven years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,092,512.88. Wagner was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on April 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Sekret T. Sneed prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.