A staffing firm owner defrauded funding companies of $5 million, the US attorney’s office reported. The man used the funds to buy cars such as a 2016 Bentley Flying Spur as well as to pay for plastic surgery and acquire a café, among other things.

Micky Lee Wagner, 57, of Atlanta and Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced on Sept. 8 in Georgia after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on April 24, the US attorney’s office announced. Wagner had been indicted in July 2022, although he fled to Kansas City and evaded arrest for a year and defrauded another funding firm during that time.

He was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in prison and must also pay restitution, according to the office.

“Wagner took great measures to create the fraudulent billing scheme to use these companies like his personal ATM,” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley said in a press release. “His actions not only harmed businesses but also the victims of his identity theft. Wagner will now have several years behind bars to consider the impact of his actions.” 

Wagner was owner and CEO of Right Step Staffing in Atlanta, the office reported. Wagner used stolen identities to create a false impression that he had workers. He also falsely claimed he had clients such as Kroger Distribution, Material in Motion, Duracell and Clorox.

Wagner targeted factoring firms. In factoring arrangements, staffing firms typically sell their unpaid invoices to the factoring firms at a discounted rate for a cash advance, according to SIA’s Lexicon of workforce terms. Staffing firms also often direct their clients to pay the invoices directly to the factoring firm.

To get money from factoring companies, Wagner provided them with fraudulent customer contacts, according to the US attorney’s office. He also gave them email addresses that appeared similar to the real businesses’ email address but were created by Wagner himself to deceive the factoring firms.

“Wagner has an extensive history of devising schemes to take advantage of unsuspecting businesses and individuals,” US Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a press release. “Thanks to the diligence of our federal law enforcement partners at FBI, a measure of justice has been achieved that will also prevent Wagner from victimizing others.”

After entering into agreements, Right Step Staffing sent fraudulent invoices to the factoring companies claiming it had provided temporary workers, the US attorney’s office reported. The invoices totaled more than $6 million during a several-month period, resulting in actual payments of more than $5 million to Wagner.

Wagner used the money to buy real estate, a café, multiple luxury vehicles, plastic surgery and a Royal Caribbean cruise. He also diverted cash for other personal use, the office reported. Vehicles purchased included a 2016 Bentley Flying Spur, a 2020 Mercedes Benz GLE, a 2015 Land Rover and a 2015 Dodge Ram, according to court records.

Wagner was indicted in July 2022 and fled to Kansas City where he evaded arrest for nearly a year, the office reported. The FBI ultimately arrested him in July 2023 while he was leaving a residence in Kansas City.

Even after he was indicted in July 2022, Wagner defrauded another factoring company in Minnesota, stealing more than $750,000 from that business, the US attorney’s office reported. He also unsuccessfully tried to defraud other staffing firms around the same time. In addition, Wagner had a prior federal fraud conviction from 2001 from which he was still on supervised release.

SIA has reached out to Wagner’s attorney for comment.

Wagner is also known as “Clifton Leigh Wagner Martin,” “Mickey Lee Wagner,” “Leigh Wagner,” “Michy Wagner,” “Lee Wagner” and “Dr. Leigh.”

USA v. Wagner; US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia; 1:22-cr-00244-JBP-JSA-1