Two Georgia men, Philip Charles Smith and Antonio J. Evans Sr., have been sentenced to federal prison for running a multi‑year scheme that defrauded a national logistics and transportation company serving the Port of Savannah. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia said Smith was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, while Evans was sentenced to 13 months in prison plus three years of supervised release.
How the scheme worked
Smith, who worked for the logistics company and was responsible for assigning freight‑hauling contracts to third‑party carriers, admitted that from July 2021 to August 2024 he used his access to create fake jobs. He assigned those bogus freight jobs to Evans, and the company paid Evans for work that was never performed. Evans then kicked back a portion of the money to Smith, netting the pair a total loss of $821,899 for the company.
Legal consequences and message from authorities
Both men pleaded guilty to wire‑fraud charges and were ordered to pay combined restitution of $821,899. Federal prosecutors and the FBI emphasized that their scheme undermined trust in the supply‑chain operations supporting the Port of Savannah and that such fraud strikes at the integrity of critical logistics networks. Investigators and the U.S. Attorney’s office said they will continue working with companies to expose and prosecute financial crimes that distort commerce and harm the broader economy.
