Thursday, June 9, 2016 11:15 am

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (From the St. Louis Business Journal) -- A former RockTenn employee has been indicted on mail fraud charges in connection with a fraud and embezzlement scheme involving two former employers, RockTenn and MarChem, both with offices in St. Louis County.

Charles Hicks, 51, of Fenton, allegedly submitted false invoices to both companies for equipment that was not delivered and services that weren't rendered over a three-year period, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

The invoices were payable to two shell companies that were created and controlled by Hicks.

If convicted, Hicks faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000 with restitution payment mandatory.

RockTenn Co. acquired St. Louis- and Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. in May 2011 for $3.5 billion and last year merged with MeadWestvaco Corp. to become a subsidiary of the newly formed WestRock Co., based in Virginia.

MarChem is part of Maryland Heights-based Accella Performance Materials.