Ellen L. Corn, 50, of Petersburg, Indiana, has been handed a one-year-and-nine-month federal prison sentence, plus three years of supervised release, after admitting to wire fraud involving over $161,000. The former Executive Director for a Dubois County youth mentorship program was also ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution.
Court documents reveal Corn’s thefts from March 2017 to August 2022, where she siphoned funds through unauthorized credit card transactions and PayPal transfers. The scam involved nearly 1,226 personal purchases, including expenses at Amazon, Target, and Walmart, and tuition payments for her children.
With brazen disregard for the youth-oriented mission of the organization, Corn even reduced funding to other departments to cover her fraud. She also concealed her misdeeds by omitting unauthorized transactions from the accounting records presented to the Board of Directors.
“Ellen Corn’s crimes not only damaged the program that mentors local youth but also violated the trust of those who support it,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Her sentence is a stark reminder of our commitment to protecting community nonprofits from fraud and exploitation.”
Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the agency’s dedication to pursuing officials who betray public trust through fraudulent means.
Det. Sgt. Greg Brescher’s thorough investigation uncovered Corn’s breach of public trust, leading to her conviction. The Jasper Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice collaborated seamlessly to bring justice to the case. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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