Former Mayor of Willard Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Identity Theft

The former mayor and city alderman for Willard, Corey Hendrickson, will now spend several years in prison for allegedly stealing over a quarter-million dollars from his former employer.

Investigators say Hendrickson, who was the mayor of Willard from 2015 to 2021, stole close to $300,000 from Prime Inc., a Springfield-based trucking company that he worked for from 2016 to 2021 while he was mayor.

Court documents indicate he accessed the fuel expense accounts of drivers for the company and funneled that money out of their accounts and into his own. The number of people affected is in upwards of 500.

Hendrickson pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud conspiracy in 2023, and was sentenced earlier this week to three years in prison. He’s also ordered to pay back over $298,000 in restitution.