GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A federal grand jury has indicted Herman Miller employee Kevin John Grimm as an alleged co-conspirator in two counts of fraud against the furniture maker.

Grimm allegedly conspired with Jerry Lee Akers to defraud the company in a vendor-invoicing scheme. The scheme involved bilking $1.8 million from the office furniture manufacturer over a five-year period for natural gas services that were never provided.

ARTICLE Ex-Herman Miller exec accused of stealing $1.8 million Former Herman Miller executive Jerry Lee Akers is facing felony charges that he bilked the office furniture manufacturer of $1.773 million over a five-year period for natural gas services that were never provided.

The indictment alleges Grimm created a company, KJ Gas Transportation, to submit fraudulent invoices for payment. It further alleges that Grimm’s company never provided any gas or transportation services to Herman Miller, as falsely shown in invoices Grimm sent to Herman Miller staff members.

From 2010 to 2015, the scheme is said to have generated nearly $1.8 million in payments to Grimm’s company.

Akers was convicted of his role in the scheme last December: accepting cash payments from Grimm. When Akers was charged, his alleged co-conspirator was known to the U.S. attorney’s office but not identified in publicly filed court documents. Akers will receive his sentence May 1.