A Neosho man, David VanWinkle, 61, has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole for embezzling $4.9 million from his employer, Frontier Leasing Incorporated (FLI) in Joplin, Mo.
VanWinkle, the comptroller for FLI, where he had worked for 22 years and had a close, personal relationship with the owner, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and failure to pay taxes on Feb. 28, 2014.
According to court documents, VanWinkle stole $4,911,621 from FLI between June 2008 and December 2013, which he spent on personal expenses and gambling.
VanWinkle’s embezzlement caused severe financial distress for the company, its owners and its employees. During the more than five years that he was embezzling, FLI struggled financially.
FLI, between its employees and contractors, provided a living for over 100 individuals and their families in the Joplin area. While VanWinkle was stealing millions, FLI and its employees were voluntarily taking pay cuts to ensure that this business would not close its doors.
As the comptroller for FLI, VanWinkle would have been acutely aware of the ramifications of his greed and its direct impact on FLI’s employees and their families.
Related Federal Cases
- Robert J. Young II, Embezzlement, Missouri 2017 · Kansas
- Michael A. Green, Non-Profit Embezzlement, Missouri 2024 · Kansas
- Ray Leonard Marple, Trust Fund Embezzlement, Missouri 2024 · Kansas
- Sarah Lynn Tweedie, Kilt Embezzlement, Missouri 2018 · Iowa
- Sarah Lynn Tweedie, $165K Embezzlement, Missouri 2024 · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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