Two men from Marengo County, Alabama, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy that resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million worth of building materials.
According to court documents, Bryan Keith Gracie, 40, of Demopolis, and Ellis Tyrone Miller, 35, of Dixons Mills conspired to steal building materials from a company based in Thomasville between June 2021 and March 2022. The scheme involved using legitimate delivery and shipment numbers for orders intended for the company’s customers but redirecting them to unauthorized individuals. Gracie and Miller manipulated the victim company’s database—which communicated with servers outside Alabama—by making false entries and reversals. They also signed fraudulent bills of lading to facilitate shipments through unauthorized third-party trucking companies.
Federal agents uncovered incriminating text messages between Gracie and Miller. In one exchange from November 2021, Miller instructed Gracie: “Wear hard hat and act like u signing in but don’t put nothing down please deliver the message.” In December 2021, Miller warned Gracie that another employee had “been watching the cameras” and suggested they should “chill for a minute.” By February 2022, they were discussing how much each was owed from illicit sales. Over the course of the conspiracy, at least 54 shipments of stolen products were sent to unauthorized third parties with a total value exceeding $1.2 million.
U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Gracie to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release with credit restrictions and a prohibition against being on or near the victim company’s property. No fine was imposed; however, Judge DuBose ordered Gracie to pay $100 in special assessments and $1,213,524.16 in restitution jointly with Miller.
Ellis Tyrone Miller received a sentence of 13 months in prison from Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock along with three years’ supervised release under similar conditions as Gracie. He was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments and joint restitution totaling $1,213,524.16.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Thomasville Police Department, and Montgomery Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
