Joseph Stahura, the 64-year-old mayor of Whiting, Indiana, has been charged with wire fraud and filing a false income tax return, according to U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
The charges allege that Stahura, who has served as mayor since 2004, misused campaign funds for personal activities such as gambling and credit card debt. His wife, Diane Stahura, also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, acknowledging the government’s evidence against her.
According to U.S. Attorney Kirsch, Stahura used approximately $255,000 from his campaign fund for personal purposes, concealed this activity by filing false reports, and even filed a false tax return in April 2019. The misuse of funds spanned from February 2014 to November 2019.
Stahura’s campaign finance violations included omitting material information from his reports and overstating loan repayments to his campaign. Indiana campaign finance law explicitly prohibits the use of campaign funds for personal purposes, which Stahura is accused of violating.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a history of aggressively pursuing public corruption cases, ensuring that officials who seek illegal personal gain are held accountable. Kirsch encourages anyone with information about corrupt public officials to contact his office or the FBI.
Stahura’s case serves as yet another reminder of the importance of transparency and integrity in public service.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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