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Fire District Treasurer Charged with Embezzling $427,000
A former treasurer of the Mayetta Rural Fire District #1 in Jackson County, Kansas, has been charged with embezzling more than $427,000 from the district, according to federal authorities.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, Barry Grissom, announced that Richard P. Bontrager, 67, of Holton, Kansas, has been charged in a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Topeka with one count of embezzlement.
The alleged crime occurred from 2008 to 2013 while Bontrager was managing the finances of the fire district, which serves a 121-square-mile area including the town and nearby rural community. According to the allegations, Bontrager began embezzling funds by issuing checks with forged signatures of members of the district’s five-member board of directors.
He made the checks payable to a fictitious company he called “R & S Services,” to conceal the fact the money was deposited into his personal account. In addition, the allegations claim that Bontrager falsified loan documents to obligate the fire district to make monthly lease payments on a Polaris Ranger UTV and a 1988 Chevrolet one-ton brush truck.
He created false minutes to make it appear the board had approved the lease. If convicted, Bontrager faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office investigated, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictment merely contains allegations of criminal conduct. The case is a reminder of the importance of accountability and transparency in public office.
The Mayetta Rural Fire District #1 provides essential services to the community, and it is essential that those who manage the district’s finances act with integrity and honesty. The district’s residents deserve to trust that their tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently.
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Key Facts
- State: Kansas
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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