Jesse Marks, a 65-year-old resident of Rush, Kentucky, has entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The plea was made in connection with a scheme involving the Boone County Schools system. Marks conspired with Michael David Barker, who served as the maintenance director for the school system.
Court documents and statements reveal that Marks operated Rush Enterprises when Barker reached out in November 2019. They discussed providing custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks began supplying various items including hand soap and hand sanitizer.
The fraudulent activities began in November 2019, where Barker submitted inflated invoices on behalf of Rush Enterprises. The Boone County Schools paid these invoices through checks sent via the United States Postal Service.
Marks admitted to depositing these checks into his business account and then withdrawing cash, some of which he delivered to Barker in manila envelopes. Initially, they agreed to split the profits evenly after covering costs but later changed the arrangement in October 2020, giving Barker 55% of the fraudulent gains.
Approximately $3.4 million of payments received by Rush Enterprises were for undelivered products. Marks will face sentencing on June 16, 2025, potentially receiving up to 20 years in prison along with other penalties.
Michael David Barker faces an upcoming trial scheduled for April 15, 2025. He is charged with multiple offenses including mail fraud and money laundering following an indictment returned on December 11, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the guilty plea and praised investigative efforts from several agencies including the FBI and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price under United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston's oversight.
For further information regarding this case or related court documents, interested parties can refer to PACER using Case No. 2:25-cr-6 or visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.