Medina Man Gets More Than 6 Years For Bilking $245K From Contractor

CLEVELAND, OH – A Medina man was sentenced to more than six years in prison for stealing $245,000 from his employer and using the money to pay for a country club membership, vehicles and purchases at Victoria’s Secret and GNC. Authorities say that the actions of Brian K. Stepp, 51, led the company, Variety Contractors Inc., to go out of business and some 80 employees to lose their jobs.

Stepp previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements on a loan application. Variety Contractors, based in Medina County, provided general contracting services for large public and commercial retail construction projects in Ohio and other states.

Stepp joined the company as vice president with the plan to eventually buy the company. He served as acting president but never purchased the company, according to court documents and statements. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Cleveland Patch, or click here to find your local Ohio Patch. Also, if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Via a shell company, Stepp invoiced Variety Contractors for goods and services that were not provided, according to court documents. Among the charges, Stepp invoiced the company for $31,500 in September 2014 for metal panels. Three days later, a check in the same amount was used to partially pay for a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado, according to court records.

Stepp also used a company credit card to pay for personal expenses, such as membership and related fees at Weymouth Country Club, payments made to purchase vehicles to himself and his family, local hotel charges, legal fees, and charges at stores including Victoria’s Secret and GNC, according to court documents.

The court documents also indicate that Stepp hired someone to break the jaws of two people who had been critical of him. U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Stepp to six years in prison for fraud, to be followed by six months for violating the terms of his supervised release in hiring someone to assault others.

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