Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Role In Defrauding Ohio Imaging Equipment Company

COLUMBUS, OH – Richard Morin, 48, of Portland pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday for his role in a scheme that defrauded a Columbus-based company out of between $250,000 and $1,500,000 over the course of a year.

Morin is the final defendant to plead guilty in connection with the fraud. Frank Damico, 52, of Sunbury, Ohio pleaded guilty on Tuesday to defrauding Damico’s employer by working for both his employer and a competitor at the same time, and using a hunting buddy’s name to hide the fact that he was working for the two competing companies simultaneously.

Damico pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and perjury, crimes punishable by up to 20 years and five years in prison respectively. Damico was national service manager for Cranel, Inc., a Columbus company that sells and services imaging equipment, according to a release.

Damico agreed in Nov. 2011 to go into business with Morin, who owned Pro Image, a Connecticut company and competitor of Cranel’s. Damico then transferred Cranel company documents containing trade secrets and confidential customer data to Pro Image.

Damico asked Morin set up a Pro Image email account in early 2012 under the name of Josh Fetter, whom court documents describe as a hunting buddy of Damico’s. Fetter agreed after the fact to allow his name to be used, and has admitted to lying to FBI agents and a federal grand jury during the investigation of the fraud.

Under the name Fetter, Damico emailed and called existing Cranel customers in other states. He then persuaded approximately 12 of them either switching their business to Pro Image or seek much lower prices from Cranel.

Fetter, 32, of Ashley, Ohio pleaded guilty on June 29 to criminal contempt and is awaiting sentencing.