A Blaine businessman admitted Wednesday that he concocted a scheme to defraud hundreds of job seekers out of about $600,000 with false promises of work selling home security or water filtration systems.
Charles E. Fields, 44, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to wire fraud in connection with cheating at least 250 people out of several thousands of dollars each.
The plea agreement does not propose a specific sentence, but it notes that the defense intends to argue for a prison term ranging from 2 1⁄4 to 2 3⁄4 years, while the prosecution wants him to serve anywhere from 4 1⁄4 to 5 1⁄4 years in prison. A date for Fields' sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
Fields is also on the hook to make restitution to his victims, the plea deal noted.
The employment opportunities that Fields pitched were made through his businesses, among them HomeSoft Systems Inc., WaterTek Marketing Corp., Water Innovations Group Inc., WIG Holdings Corp., Mile High H20 Corp. and the New H20.
From 2015 to 2020, according to the indictment, Fields required applicants to pay a deposit ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 before hiring them to sell home security products and various models of water machines and filtration systems made by an international company that remained anonymous in the indictment.
A KARE 11 television report in 2019 identified that company as Enagic, based in the Los Angeles area.
Fields enticed people around the country to apply by promising but not delivering training, sales leads and $6,000 in guaranteed monthly profit.
