Ellen L. Corn, Wire Fraud, Indiana 2023

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Ex-Nonprofit Director Sentenced for Wire Fraud in Indiana

EVANSVILLE, Indiana – Ellen L. Corn, 50, of Petersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud.

Corn has also been ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution.

According to court documents, from March 2017 to August 2022, Ellen Corn served as the Executive Director for a Dubois County nonprofit that facilitates a youth mentoring program and provides college scholarships for local high school students.

Over that five-year period, Corn stole a total of $161,344.85 via several methods, including by using the organization’s credit card to pay for personal expenses at various businesses and restaurants, such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart, and to make tuition payments to colleges for her children.

Corn made approximately 1,226 unauthorized transactions with the credit card. She also stole funds by making unauthorized transfers from the organization’s PayPal account to her personal PayPal account. Additionally, Corn made unauthorized purchases directly from the nonprofit’s checking account via debit card and check.

Corn ensured that the organization’s accounts had enough funds to pay for her illegitimate expenses by reducing funding for certain departments and programs.

“Ellen Corn abused her position of trust and stole from an organization dedicated to serving and mentoring local youth. Her crimes not only harmed the program and its ability to serve young people but also betrayed the trust of the public who support and rely on its mission,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

Corn’s crimes were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and Jasper Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana is committed to holding individuals accountable for their crimes and protecting community nonprofits from fraud and financial exploitation.