ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Two employees at a south St. Louis County steakhouse are under federal indictment for allegedly using the restaurant’s credit cards to fund lavish purchases over a five-year period.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Mark Erney and Matthew Braasch stole over $1.4 million from Sam’s Steakhouse between Jan. 30, 2020, and Feb. 19, 2025.
According to the indictment, Erney and Braasch lied to management and obtained company credit cards to pay for restaurant expenses, such as paying the liquor sales taxes and other state taxes. Instead, prosecutors allege the two men used the credit cards on unauthorized purchases.
The indictment outlined several of those purchases. In January 2021, Braasch used his company credit card to purchase more than $5,400 worth of Cardinals tickets. He spent nearly $82,000 at Target, nearly $30,000 on clothing at Vineyard Vines, nearly $40,000 on Amazon purchases, and $10,000 on local hotel stays for an acquaintance.
Erney used his card to fund more than $155,000 in purchases from Amazon, more than $37,000 in food and beverages at Rehab Bar and Grill and Just John, nearly $900 on an outing at Sasha’s on Demun, and nearly $4,000 in Nugenix products for himself.
As a result of these unauthorized purchases, Sam’s Steakhouse ran out of money to not only buy food but also pay its liquor sales and state taxes, prosecutors said. Both men attempted to hide the budget shortfall caused by their scheme by taking out private loans for the restaurant.
The Missouri Department of Revenue launched an investigation of the steakhouse after not receiving tax payments. Braasch posed as a member of the restaurant management to meet with state investigators.
Erney and Braasch were each charged with two counts of wire fraud. Neither man has appeared in federal court yet.