Concord Cafe Owner Cooks Up $2.3M Credit Union Scheme

CONCORD TOWNSHIP, OH – John Struna, 52, of Concord Township, is facing a February 25 sentencing date after pleading guilty today to a brazen scheme that drained $2.3 million from the now-defunct Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union. The guilty plea marks the latest fallout in the Taupa collapse, a case that exposed deep-rooted corruption and mismanagement within the small Cleveland-based institution.

Struna admitted to seven federal counts: one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of making false statements, and four counts of money laundering. Court documents reveal a long-running conspiracy with Taupa’s CEO, Alex Spirikaitis, stretching from 2002 to 2013. During that period, Spirikaitis allegedly authorized approximately 46 fraudulent transfers directly into accounts controlled by Struna.

The feds aren’t letting Struna keep the ill-gotten gains. As part of the plea deal, Struna will forfeit his Sunny Street Café in Concord Township, a condominium in Ft. Myers, Florida, and a 2014 Mazda. These assets were all directly purchased with the stolen funds, prosecutors say. While receiving over $2.3 million, Struna only repaid roughly $15,000, pocketing the rest.

The case against Struna comes after previous convictions of key players in the Taupa scandal. Spirikaitis, former teller Michael Ruksenas, and Vytas Apanavicius have all been found guilty for their involvement in defrauding the credit union. Taupa, which once served around 1,150 members and held $24 million in assets, was placed into receivership last year after its insolvency became undeniable.

Prosecutors detailed how, in 2011 alone, Struna received $112,105 from Spirikaitis to purchase the Florida condo – without submitting a single credit application or loan document. Struna maintained both personal and corporate accounts at Taupa since 1995, establishing a long-term relationship that enabled the decade-long fraud. The investigation was a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Patton and Derek Kleinmann are prosecuting the case. The unraveling of Taupa Lithuanian Credit Union serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of financial crime on communities and the importance of rigorous oversight within the financial sector. This case isn’t closed yet; expect more shoes to drop as the investigation continues to probe the full extent of the fraud.