Former Wilson Trophy executive accused of defrauding company of $2.3 million
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Roseville man is accused of a wire fraud scheme that resulted in over $2.3 million in losses for a Sacramento-based business, according federal prosecutors.
Christopher William Edward Abplanalp, 38, was charged by federal prosecutors Wednesday with wire fraud with money from his employer, Wilson Trophy.
Court documents show that Abplanalp worked as an executive at the company between February 2023 and July 2025, alleging that he diverted more than $2.3 million to himself and spent most of it on gambling.
The Department of Justice did not mention the name of the business Abplanalp worked at. Wilson Trophy, which makes trophies for youth sports and other organizations, said that Abplanalp formerly served as the Vice President and Executive Manger for the business.
Prosecutors alleged that he diverted money from the business’ account with an online payment system that linked to his own personal account or to his friends or acquaintances.
Abplanalp allegedly charged a client’s credit card repeatedly for items never ordered and invoices that didn’t exist and transferred those funds to himself, the DOJ said. Wilson Trophy said the credit card was ran 52 times and led to more than $643,000 funds improperly received
Additionally, prosecutors claim Abplanalp directed payments and vendor refunds to himself and altered, deleted, or made false entries in the company’s accounting software.
“For nearly 60 years, Wilson Trophy has built its business on trust, integrity and relationships,” said Jesse Loomis, Wilson Trophy Chief Administrative Officer. “When we discovered the financial irregularities, our responsibility was clear: protect our customers, protect our employees, preserve the company, determine the full scope of what happened and turn the evidence over to the appropriate authorities. We have spent more than a year doing exactly that.”
Abplanalp is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
If convicted, Abplanalp faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.