EVANSVILLE- Regene Newman, 59, of Evansville, faced justice as she was sentenced to 1.5 years in federal prison for her sordid theft of over $125,000 from public funds. The former Vanderburgh County Director of Finance’s deceitful actions were exposed after a meticulous investigation.
Newman’s lavish lifestyle was fueled by the misappropriated funds, which included extravagant purchases at Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Her seven-year exploitation of positions of trust began while serving as Director of Finance for the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, where she had access to both an office credit card and a debit card for ‘My Goals’, a nonprofit aimed at assisting at-risk youth.
Between 2015 and June 2021, Newman made unauthorized purchases totaling approximately $60,028.66 with the My Goals debit card and an additional $26,381.04 using the Prosecutor’s Office credit card. She concealed her theft by submitting fake Accounts Payable Vouchers to create the illusion of donations to the nonprofit.
Newman’s career of deception continued when she became Business Director for Vanderburgh County Community Corrections, gaining access to a county credit card and managing a local nonprofit’s checking account. Her total unauthorized purchases in this role reached $10,725 on the credit card and $23,929.46 on the debit card.
“Regene Newman’s actions were not just financial theft; they represented a profound betrayal of the very communities she was supposed to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler. “Today’s sentence serves as a stark reminder that such abuse of trust will be met with severe consequences.”
The investigation and prosecution of Regene Newman demonstrate the strength of collaboration between the FBI, the Indiana State Board of Accounts, and the United States Attorney’s Office, underscoring their commitment to restoring integrity to public service.
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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