ST. LOUIS (AP) - The former chief financial officer of a suburban St. Louis company has admitted embezzling nearly $3 million from his employer.

Ramon “Trey” Luina III of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of mail fraud. Luina embezzled about $2.8 million from CMS Communication Inc., based in Chesterfield.

Sentencing is Nov. 2.

Court documents say Luina wrote checks from CMS to himself and other entities. He used the money to build a lake house, buy vehicles and pay for vacations, among other things.

Prosecutors say Luina created fictitious vendors and listed them as consultants, then paid them for fictitious work. He also fraudulently increased his salary.

Luina’s attorney, Joel Schwartz, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch his client has already paid back about $600,000, and intends to pay back the rest.

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