A Lucas County man is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of several years from a construction services company he presided over.
Between September 2011 and June 2012, William Cook III, 66, is accused of wire-transferring over $200,000 from Construction Contractors Employers Group's account to AlphaCare Service's coffers, according to reports from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal reports say that Cook used members' money to his personal benefit instead of designated employment expenses. He is accused of transferring CCEG funds into AlphaCare's account, then writing checks payable to himself and others. Those funds were then used for his personal gain.
Cook is charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud by federal prosecutors, according to U.S. District Attorney Carol Rendon.
Cook was president of AlphaCare Services Inc., which was in charge of the day-to-day operation of CCEG. The construction group collected, processed and paid employment expenses of its members - who are mostly general contractor workers in Northwest Ohio.
If convicted, Cook's sentence will be determined by the court after taking into account facts of the case and his prior, if any, criminal record.
