Chicago man charged with defrauding Downers Grove employer

A Chicago man has been charged for defrauding his Downers Grove employer out of $275,000 through a false billing scheme, authorities said.

Channa Wick, 43, of 900 North DeWitt Place in Chicago, was arrested by officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigations at his home without incident, officials said.

Wick has been charged with one count of wire fraud, a felony, officials said, that could put him behind bars for up to 20 years.

According to a complaint filed in federal court, Wick was employed at Griffin Solutions, a technical resource, staffing and consulting firm in Downers Grove and originally hired to sell toner products as part of the companies business expansion plans.

Officials said, after starting the position in May or 2007, Wick informed management he had developed new business opportunities for the firm in that the company could begin to develop computer software programs for an east coast-based hedge fund.

Over the next several months, Wick claimed to have developed additional firms in need of such software, the official complaint says, eventually totally as many as six clients.

Wick told his employer in order to service the new clients in a timely manner, he would need the assistance of graduate students hired from Chicago area universities.

Wick also provided his employer with billing information, and Griffin Solutions generated invoices for payment, the complaint claims.

In addition, Wick requested money to pay the students he hired, which resulted in the wire transfer to Wick of $283,000 over several months.

An investigation into the situation by the FBI indicated none of the clients ever contracted with Griffin Solutions or Wick for any type of work, and that the names of the students submitted by Wick were not working for him. They were, in fact, famous Indian cricket players, the complaint reads.

Wick was formally charged in court yesterday and ordered held without bond pending his next court appearance.