United States v. Peter Armbruster

PENDING CRIMINAL DIVISION CASES

United States v. Peter Armbruster
Court Docket No.: 2:18-cr-00130 (E.D. Wisconsin)

Court Assigned: This case is assigned to the Honorable Matthew Kennelly by designation, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, United States Federal Building and Courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Latest update: Defendant Armbruster has appealed the district court’s final judgement in this case. An oral argument is scheduled for August 3, 2022 at 9:30 AM in the Main Courtroom, Room 2721, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL. The courtroom will be closed to the general public, however, if you wish to listen-in to the proceedings, please contact us at Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov to receive access instructions.

On November 30, 2021, defendant Peter Armbruster was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.

On July 29, 2021, a jury found defendant Armbruster guilty of securities fraud and related offenses; the jury acquitted defendants Bret Naggs and Mark Wogsland of all counts.

Criminal Charges: On April 3, 2019, the court unsealed a superseding indictment charging Peter Armbruster, the former Chief Financial Officer of Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (“Roadrunner”), a trucking and logistics company, along with former Roadrunner executives Bret Naggs and Mark Wogsland, with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a public company’s accountants and to falsify books, records, and accounts of a public company; multiple counts of making false statements to a public company’s accountants (Armbruster two counts; Naggs one count; Wogsland three counts); multiple counts of falsifying books, records, and accounts of a public company (Armbruster three counts; Naggs three counts; Wogsland two counts); one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud; one count of bank fraud (Armbruster only); multiple counts of securities fraud (Armbruster three counts; Naggs two counts; Wogsland four counts); and multiple counts of wire fraud (Armbruster four counts; Naggs two counts; Wogsland three counts). Armbruster was arraigned on the superseding indictment on April 3, 2019.  Naggs and Mark Wogsland were arraigned on the superseding indictment on April 10, 2019. The defendants were released on bond.

Naggs and Wogsland were previously charged in an indictment unsealed on June 15, 2018 with one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a public company’s accountants and to falsify books, records, and accounts of a public company; one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud; two substantive counts of securities fraud; and four substantive counts of wire fraud.  The charges stem from Naggs and Wogsland participating in an accounting fraud scheme that resulted in an estimated loss to Roadrunner’s shareholders of over $240 million.

For more information about the charges, please see below:
Indictment
Superseding Indictment - April 3, 2019
Press Release – June 15, 2018
Press Release – August 2, 2021

The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.

Victim Impact Statement: If you would like to submit a Victim Impact Statement, you may do so by mailing the Victim Impact Statement to: Victim Witness Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, Room 4416, Washington, DC 20530. You also may submit the Victim Impact Statement via email at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov or by fax at: (202) 514-3708.

Victim Impact Statement (PDF)

The information on this website will be updated as new developments arise in the case. If you have any questions, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at VictimAssistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.

Crime Victims’ Rights Act and Right to Retain Counsel: The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (18 U.S.C. § 3771) applies only to victims of the counts charged in federal court, and thus individuals may not be able to exercise all of these rights if the crime of which the individual is a victim was not charged. Section 377I(c)(2) of this Act requires that we advise you that you have the right to retain counsel. Although the statute specifically sets forth your right to seek advice of an attorney with regard to your rights under the statute, there is no requirement that you retain counsel. The Government may not recommend any specific counsel, nor can the Government (or the Court) pay for counsel to represent you. Government attorneys represent the United States.

If you elect to obtain counsel to represent your interests, please have your attorney notify this office in writing at: U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, 10th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Bond Building, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20530, Attention: Victim Witness Unit; fax: (202) 514-3708; or email: victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. If you elect not to retain counsel to represent your interests, you do not need to do anything.

Plea Agreements: Please be aware that many criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement between the Department of Justice and the defendant. You should also know that it is not unusual for a defendant to seek to negotiate a plea agreement shortly before trial is scheduled to begin. Plea agreements can be made at any time and as late as the morning of trial, leaving little or no opportunity to provide notice to you of the date and time of the plea hearing. If the court schedules a plea hearing in this case, we will use our best efforts to notify you of available information as soon as practicable. If you want to inform the prosecutor of your views regarding potential plea agreements, or any other aspect of the case, please call the Victim Assistance Line toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or email us at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov, and we will put you in touch with the prosecutor.