Amway contractor pleads guilty to fraud

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Federal documents show that Tara Fay (also known as Tara Fay-Noyes) agreed to plead guilty to defrauding Amway out of more than $100,000.

Fay formerly worked as a procurement contractor at the company's Ada headquarters. An Amway spokeswoman told 24 Hour News 8 that Fay has not been a contractor for the company for quite some time.

Federal prosecutors said Fay created a fake company called PW Communications. She then submitted invoices to Amway claiming PW Communications did work for Amway at several different events, work the company did not perform.

Investigators said Fay made it appear the invoices had been approved for payment, leading Amway to pay her and her fake company approximately $114,000 between July 2010 and September 2011.

Under a deal with the U.S. Attorney's office, Fay agreed in early February to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud.

On March 5, the court conditionally accepted the plea deal. Fay's sentencing is scheduled for June 27.

She faces up to 20 years in prison, but her actual sentence will likely be less than that.