Retired Lt. Kevin P. Vaughn Cops to Fraud, Gets Probation

WICHITA, KAN. — A badge and 28 years on the force didn’t stop retired police lieutenant Kevin P. Vaughn, 52, from running a rigged training scheme that bled taxpayer dollars. The former cop admitted to falsifying records, forging signatures, and pocketing grant money meant for law enforcement training — all while still wearing the department’s uniform in the public eye.

On Wednesday, Vaughn was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of embezzlement of public funds and one count of mail fraud. Federal prosecutors revealed he filed false documents to make it appear his private company, Red Mist Tactical, had fulfilled a contract for 15 eight-hour training sessions — none of which were completed as reported. He must now pay $56,400 in restitution.

The money flowed from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) grant funneled through the Kansas Highway Patrol and the North Central Regional Planning Commission. Vaughn exploited the system by submitting fake attendance sheets and backdating sessions that either never happened or were held past contractual deadlines. Among the lies: claiming training occurred in McPherson, Kan., on May 27 and 28, 2015 — when it actually took place June 3 and 4, after the contract’s cutoff.

He also forged officers’ signatures to cover his tracks. On May 22, 2015, Vaughn reported a full day of armed engagement drills during the Wichita Police Department Ladies Range Day. In reality, the session lasted only four hours — and had no department approval. He falsely claimed to have held training in Sumner County on April 20 through 24, and again on April 27 and May 1 — dates when no instruction occurred at all.

U.S. Attorney Tom Beall, who prosecuted the case, said the fraud undermined trust in public safety institutions and squandered emergency preparedness funds meant to protect communities. “This wasn’t just paperwork,” Beall said. “It was a betrayal of the public trust by someone who once swore to uphold it.”

Beall credited the FBI, the Wichita Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for untangling the scheme. Vaughn, who retired in March 2015, avoided prison but now carries the stigma of a felony conviction — a tarnished end to a career once built on enforcing the law.