The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today published an article on resume fraud featuring Marquet International and yours truly. This is a real problem for employers seeking high quality executives as evidenced by the Yahoo! debacle (and many others). See the Resume Liars Club at Marquet International.
Read the article, entitled "Workzone: Inquiries on rise amid resume fraud" here.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Former Tennessee Banker Charged With Embezzling $100K
Lisa Crawford Justice, 42, of Greenbriar, Tennessee, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the now-defunct Tennessee Commerce Bank in Franklin where she had been employed as operations officer and deposit operations supervisor. Prosecutors allege that Justice misappropriated the funds over a period of at least 2 years, from 2009 to 2011. Developing...
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
Mississippi Woman Sentenced For Embezzling Nearly $1 Million
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| Sarah K. Winters |
Read the story here.
Former Casino HR Manager In California Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $400K
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| Erika M. Carlton |
Read the story here and here.
Update (2/8/13): Carlton was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $236,050 in restitution.
California Authorities Investigating Possible $2 Million Embezzlement At Non-Profit
Valley Light Industries, an Irwindale, California-based non-profit set up to assist children with developmental disabilities, has reported a possible embezzlement of as much as $2 million. Authorities are now investigating the allegations, which focus on the non-profit's former CEO, Pamela Hayes, who ran the organization for several years. Developing...
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
Former Oklahoma Non-Profit Director PLeads Guilty To Embezzling $1.5 Million
Wesley Scott McGinness, 65, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled more than $1.5 million from the HOW Foundation, a non-profit organization which helps men recover from drug and alcohol addiction where he had served as executive director. According to authorities, McGinness' misappropriation schemes spanned nearly an 8 year period, from January 13, 2003 until December 14, 2010. McGuinness reportedly wrote 213 fraudulent checks totaling $1,359,714.89 drawn on the foundation's bank accounts to pay personal credit card debts at local area casinos. He also embezzled about $720 per week from the cash receipts of the HOW Foundation's thrift store, for an additional approximate total of $224,000. McGinness also pleaded guilty to a charge of filing a false 2008 federal income tax return owes the IRS a total of $366,564.82 for the tax years 2006 through 2010.
Read the story here.
Update (11/9/12): McGiness was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,584,114.89 in restitution.
Read the story here.
Update (11/9/12): McGiness was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,584,114.89 in restitution.
Businessman Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $1 Million From Insurance Payments For Nevada Fire Victims
Read the story here and here.
Former Union Treasurer In Florida Suspected In $100K Embezzlement
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| Ron Salerno |
Developing...
Read the story here.
Update (12/4/12): Salerno, now 43, was arrested for allegedly embezzling $187,000 from the union over a 2 year period.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Former Owner Of Defunct Nursing Home Sentenced For Embezzling $800K
Stanley J. Rodowicz, Jr., 57, previously of Canterbury, Connecticut and now of Wellington, Florida, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $800,000 from Village Manor Health Care Inc. of Plainfield, Connecticut, a now defunct nursing home while it was in bankruptcy. Prosecutors alleged that from 2007 to 2010, Rodowicz controlled the nursing home’s bank accounts, cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable, enabling him to siphon $817,212 from the nursing home’s accounts and falsified the books and records of the nursing home during the bankruptcy proceedings to conceal the embezzlement. Rodowicz was also ordered to pay $495,212 in restitution after he had previously paid back about $322,000.
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
Former Head Of California Union Indicted For Allegedly Embezzling More Than $100K
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| Tyrone R. Freeman |
Read the story here.
Update (1/29/13): Freeman was found guilty of four counts of mail fraud, seven counts of embezzlement and/or theft of labor union assets, one count of making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution, and two counts of subscribing to a false tax return.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty To Embezzling $413K From Non-Profit
Thomas D. Nelson, believed to be 56, of Alfred, Maine, has pleaded guilty to embezzling about $900,000 from the York County Community Action Corp. where he had served as chief executive officer. According to authorities, over a period of at least 6 years, from 2004 to 2010, Nelson siphoned funds from the agency through a phony vendor schemes. He has also agreed to pay restitution of $1.2 million as well as $150,000 in back taxes and penalties to the IRS.
Read the story here.
Update (5/26/13): Nelson was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
Read the story here.
Update (5/26/13): Nelson was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison.
Major Embezzlement Cases: July 24 - 31
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a $3.7 million embezzlement reported by First Security Bank in Malta, Montana. The employee suspected in the long-term misappropriation scheme has not yet been named. Developing...
Leon E. Piepenbrink, 52, of St Paul, Minnesota, has been sentenced to one year in jail for embezzling as much as $300,000 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod where he had served as a pastor. The thefts spanned a period of about three years, from 2007 to 2010. Piepenbrink pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft by swindle this past April.
Barbara Kaye Rechtzigel, 47, of Belview, Minnesota, has been charged with embezzling about $1 million from customer CD accounts at Minwest Bank in Marshall where she had been employed. According to prosecutors, Rechtzigel misappropriated funds for personal use over a period of 14 years, beginning in 1998. She has been charged with one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. Rechtzigel and her husband, Ken Rechtzigel, are reported to be the owners of The Brauhaus in Lucan, Minnesota, which they purchased in October 2008. Hmmm. I wonder where they got the money to do that...
John F. Losee, 61, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, has has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000 from Heim Manufacturing Corp., where he had been employed as General Manager. Losee's scheme spanned a reorted 6 years, from April 2003 to May 2009 where he issued more than 220 checks payable to the fictitious business Losee created. In a plea agreement, Losee pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and filing a false federal income tax return.
Robert Michael Eugene “Gene” Bruist, 35, of Fort Meyers, Florida, has been charged with embezzling about $900,000 from the non-profit Center for Independent Living of Southwest Florida, where he had served as Executive Director. Authorities allege that Bruist converted state funding, federal grants, non-profit grants and personal donations for his own use to support "an extravagant lifestyle." Sadly, the non-profit has been shuttered.
Marti James Schrauben, 38, of Portland, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling nearly $500,000 from customers and insurance companies while he was an employee at Schrauben-Lehman Funeral Home. The thefts spanned a two year period from 2008 through 2010. Schrauben has been charged with 27 felony fraud counts.
Update (3/10/15): Schrauben seeks retrial after conviction for embezzling nearly $500,000 from funeral home clients. Read the updated story here.
Arlene Francis Spinuzzi, 58, formerly of Apple Valley, California, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for embezzling more than $415,000 in welfare funds from the San Bernardino County Welfare Department where he had been employed as a welfare eligibility worker. The sentenced was handed down after Spinuzzi pleaded guilty to 15 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds. Spinuzzi reportedly authorized payments to her family members for child care services that were never provided. Her family members including her husband, Michael Kenneth Debar, 57, her father Gerald Zibell, 82, and her daughter Sarah Debar Parks, 24, were indicted on a total of 90 felony counts of grand theft and misappropriation of public funds in February 2011. Debar pleaded guilty to seven felony counts of misappropriation of public funds and was sentenced to 10 yearss in prison. Parks pleaded guilty to one felony count of misappropriation of public funds and received a sentence of probation. Zibell died this past April while awaiting trial.
Sharon M. Cutter, believed to be 50, of Methuen, Massachusetts, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from St. Ann's Home and School where she had served as chief financial officer. Over a period of more than 6 years, from July 2006 to October 2012, Cutter reportedly used the non-profit's credit cards and petty cash to purchase items for personal use. Cutter was a 23-year veteran employee of St. Ann's, a residential program for troubled youths and an affiliate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
Angela Patrice Madison, 41, andTracy Dione Jackson , 42, both of Minneapolis, Minnesota, have been charged with embezzling more than $1.6 million from ING , the international insurance and investment firm where they both worked. Madison was responsible for handling ING clients who sought to obtain loans or surrender their life insurance policies and allegedly used the company's computer system to generate false statements in the name of various people, including Jackson. Prosecutors allege that the two conspired to cause nearly 200 checks to be drawn on ING accounts for their own benefit. The two have reportedly a history of filing for bankruptcy; Madison with a Chapter 7 liquidation in 2003 and Jackson with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1997 and a Chapter 13 petition in 1998.
Walter Conkright Jr., 45, of Jamestown, New York, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Jamestown Moose Lodge 1681 where he had served as an administrator. He has been indicted on a single count of third-degree grand larceny.
Update (8/10/12): Rhonda Lee Devries, 50, has pleaded not guilty to one count each of embezzlement by a bank officer, credit card fraud and money laundering for defrauding First Security Bank of Malta out of nearly $3.7 million over a period of nearly 12 years. Devries allegedly set up high-limit credit accounts for phony companies she created and withdrew the funds for her own benefit.
Update (11/27/12): Devries was sentenced to 110 months in prison and ordered to pay $3,811,221.52 in restitution.
Leon E. Piepenbrink, 52, of St Paul, Minnesota, has been sentenced to one year in jail for embezzling as much as $300,000 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod where he had served as a pastor. The thefts spanned a period of about three years, from 2007 to 2010. Piepenbrink pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft by swindle this past April.
Barbara Kaye Rechtzigel, 47, of Belview, Minnesota, has been charged with embezzling about $1 million from customer CD accounts at Minwest Bank in Marshall where she had been employed. According to prosecutors, Rechtzigel misappropriated funds for personal use over a period of 14 years, beginning in 1998. She has been charged with one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. Rechtzigel and her husband, Ken Rechtzigel, are reported to be the owners of The Brauhaus in Lucan, Minnesota, which they purchased in October 2008. Hmmm. I wonder where they got the money to do that...
Update (8/7/12): Rechtzigel pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer.
Update (1/16/13): Rechtzigel, now 48, was sentenced to 2 years in prison and ordered to pay $1,013,018.27 in restitution.
John F. Losee, 61, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, has has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $800,000 from Heim Manufacturing Corp., where he had been employed as General Manager. Losee's scheme spanned a reorted 6 years, from April 2003 to May 2009 where he issued more than 220 checks payable to the fictitious business Losee created. In a plea agreement, Losee pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and filing a false federal income tax return.
Update: Losee was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The case was first investigated in 2009.
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| Robert Bruist |
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| Marti Schrauben |
Update (3/5/13): Schrauben pleaded guilty to felony charges of uttering and publishing and no contest to counts of forgery, uttering and publishing, insurance fraud and embezzlement of more than $50,000.
Update (3/10/15): Schrauben seeks retrial after conviction for embezzling nearly $500,000 from funeral home clients. Read the updated story here.
Arlene Francis Spinuzzi, 58, formerly of Apple Valley, California, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for embezzling more than $415,000 in welfare funds from the San Bernardino County Welfare Department where he had been employed as a welfare eligibility worker. The sentenced was handed down after Spinuzzi pleaded guilty to 15 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds. Spinuzzi reportedly authorized payments to her family members for child care services that were never provided. Her family members including her husband, Michael Kenneth Debar, 57, her father Gerald Zibell, 82, and her daughter Sarah Debar Parks, 24, were indicted on a total of 90 felony counts of grand theft and misappropriation of public funds in February 2011. Debar pleaded guilty to seven felony counts of misappropriation of public funds and was sentenced to 10 yearss in prison. Parks pleaded guilty to one felony count of misappropriation of public funds and received a sentence of probation. Zibell died this past April while awaiting trial.
Sharon M. Cutter, believed to be 50, of Methuen, Massachusetts, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from St. Ann's Home and School where she had served as chief financial officer. Over a period of more than 6 years, from July 2006 to October 2012, Cutter reportedly used the non-profit's credit cards and petty cash to purchase items for personal use. Cutter was a 23-year veteran employee of St. Ann's, a residential program for troubled youths and an affiliate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
Angela Patrice Madison, 41, and
Update (2/28/13): Madison was sentenced to 35 months in prison for her guilty plea on one count of aiding and abetting mail fraud. Jackosn received 27 months for the same charge. The fraud was comitted over a period of about 9 years from 2003 to 2012.
Walter Conkright Jr., 45, of Jamestown, New York, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Jamestown Moose Lodge 1681 where he had served as an administrator. He has been indicted on a single count of third-degree grand larceny.
Major Embezzlement Cases: July 16 - 23
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| Sarah Ann Kwasinskas |
Edelweiss Home Health Care in Maple Grove, Minnesota, has reported to authorities that it was the victim of an apparent embezzlement of at least $500,000 perpetrated by one of its employees. Developing...
Update (1/4/13): Lori Jo Mueller, 48, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to charges she embezzled approximately $840,000 from Edelweiss Home Health Care over a period of 6 years by issuing checks to herself. Mueller also caused more than $631,000 in fraudulent reimbursement claims from Medica, a medical insurance company. Turns out Mueller, then known as Lori Jo Peterson, was previously convicted of financial frauds in 1992 and 1997, according to media reports.
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| Steven Byron Tisdale |
Steven Byron Tisdale, 43, of Pfafftown, North Carolina, has been charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where he had been employed as manager of the commercial insurance collection division for 17 years. Tisdale reportedly issued 219 checks from an insurance reimbursement account to himself worth $114,002 over a period of more than a year, from January 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012.
Update (4/4/13): Tisdale, now 44, was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada after being a fugitive from justice. He now faces murder charges in the death of his domestic partner, Robert B. Tisdale, 52, whose body was found in their Pfafftown home.
Brian P. Mularski, believed to be 37, of Bayside, Wisconsin has been charged with embezzling more than $737,000 from the law firm of Eisenberg, Riley & Zimmerman where he had been employed as an attorney. According to prosecutors, over a period of nearly 3 years, from March 2006 through January 2009, Mularski deposited insurance payments into "the defendant's personal account at U.S. Bank" in the name of "Mularski Law Office." He has reportedly repaid about $240,000 of the funds he embezzled. Mularski has had his law license revoked.
Update (10/25/12): Mularski pleaded guilty to one count of felony embezzlement.
Update (1/16/13): Mularski was sentenced to one year of work-release.
Deborah Shaw, believed to be 51, of Marshall County, Mississippi, has been charged with three federal counts of embezzlement for allegedly misappropriating more than $108,000 from a special benefit account for a child shot and left for dead in 2006, held at Merchants and Farmers Bank in Holly Springs, where Shaw had been a bank executive. Court records revealed that Shaw is accused of transferring funds from the benefit account to other accounts that she owned or controlled. She is also alleged to have embezzled an additional $125,000 from the bank itself.
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| Jada W. Atkinson |
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| April F. Winch |
Katherine Haddaway, believed to be 38, of Easton, Maryland, has been found guilty of 37 counts of embezzlement in connection with her misappropriation of more than a total of $335,000 from Easton Jet Services Inc., Omni Jet International Jet Trading Inc., and Four-Ten Holdings Corporation, three companies owned by Wayne Hilmer. Haddaway, who is believed to have worked for Hilmer as a bookkeeper, stole the funds over a period of about 3 years. Haddaway employed several different embezzlement schemes, including forging checks, ordering extra payroll checks by direct deposit from Automatic Data Processing payroll company, and paying her credit card bill some 270 times online using the company account.
Update (9/22/12): Haddaway was sentenced to a net 14 years in prison.
Major Embezzlement Cases: July 8 - 15
Jay S. Fischer, 52, of Wausau, Wisconsin, has been charged with embezzling more than $1 million from his mortgage clients at Valley Title, which he owned. According to authorities, Fischer kept client funds intended to pay off mortgages for his own benefit. Fischer has been charged with 25 felony counts, including racketeering, embezzlement and various tax crimes. Note: Fischer is also facing unrelated child molestation and sexual assault charges.
Jennifer Hughes-Boyles, 40, of Topeka, Kansas, has been ordered to pay $712,145 in restitution to Heritage Bank, for which she had been employed as a vice president. Hughes-Boyles pleaded guilty to bank fraud in connection with her misappropriation of the funds from the bank through a fraudulent loan scheme.
An investigation into the possible embezzlement of $109,454 from the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. A suspect has not yet been publicly named. Developing...
Alice M. Foss, 50, of Springfield, Illinois, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges she embezzled at least $400,000 from Don Moss and Associates, a local consulting and lobbying firm, where she had been employed as CFO. Foss allegedly misappropriated the funds over a 13 year period, from 1997 until 2010, by giving herself unauthorized bonuses and expense reimbursements.
Iain Anderson, a resident of Ventura County, California has been accused in a civil suit of embezzling at least $600,000 from AND Syndicated Productions, the producer of such syndicated programs as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and other TV shows. Anderson is described in the suit as the "Lead Production Accountant" for several of the company's programs. The suit alleges that Anderson artificially inflated production costs and other expenses as well as requested petty cash for bogus expenses, comingling production funds with his personal bank accounts and recording bogus and false payroll transactions, plus other acts of conversion. Read the complaint here. Developing...
Dana Louise Sullivan, 46, of Park Township, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling at least $150,000 from Summit Properties, a local real estate firm where she had been employed. Sullivan's thefts, which spanned at least 9 years, total as much as $500,000, according to company owner Tom Speet. Sullivan reportedly has a prior criminal arrest for embezzlement and larceny from a financial institution in 2002. She reached a plea agreement in that case, dropping the embezzlement charge.
Kathleen Kau, of Honolulu, Hawaii, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling more than $360,000 from Transamerica Life Insurance Co. where she had been employed as an insurance agent. According to authorities, Kau'd theft began in March 1998 and continued through June 2003, spanning more than 5 years. Kau reportedly set up a P.O. Box and told clients that their homes were destroyed, redirecting mail to the new address. Kau kept the insurance payments for herself.
Andrea Lynn Hammond, 41, of Casper, Wyoming, has been arrested on felony theft charges for allegedly embezzling "a significant amount of funds" from the Family Crisis Services, Inc. for which she had served as Executive Director. We believe that a "significant amount of funds" suggests more than $100,000. Developing...
Keri M. Geschke, 38, of DeForest, Wisconsin, has pleaded no contest to charges she embezzled some $123,000 from Sound Billing, where she had been employed as an accountant. According to authorities, the thefts were discovered by Geschke's successor at the company, who found unusual deposits from the company's account to Geschke's bank account. After the allegations surfaced in 2010, Geschke disappeared. Read the story and see her image here.
Elizabeth Walsh, 45, of Amherst, Massachusetts, has been charged with embezzling some $112,000 from the Amherst Pelham Education Association, for which she had served as treasurer. The Association operates as the teachers union for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. Developing...
Taira Desart, 43, of Kalispell, Montana, has pleaded not guilty to charges she embezzled some $154,000 from Jesco Marine and Power Sports where she had served as bookkeeper for 17 years. She has been charged with felony embezzlement and faces up to 10 years in prison. The thefts allegedly spanned a period of about 6 and a half years.
Michael Wion, 40, of Piqua, Ohio and his assistant,Tess Cremeens, 43, of Troy, Ohio, have been charged with embezzling at least $675,000 from Repacorp where Wion was employed as Controller. The misappropriation spanned approximately two years, according to authorities.
Jennifer Hughes-Boyles, 40, of Topeka, Kansas, has been ordered to pay $712,145 in restitution to Heritage Bank, for which she had been employed as a vice president. Hughes-Boyles pleaded guilty to bank fraud in connection with her misappropriation of the funds from the bank through a fraudulent loan scheme.
Update (9/10/12): Hughes-Boyles was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
An investigation into the possible embezzlement of $109,454 from the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. A suspect has not yet been publicly named. Developing...
Update (12/18/12): Bill Dwight Coyle, 62, of Edmond, Oklahoma, and the former business manager for the church, has been charged with eight felony counts in connection with the embezzlement.
Alice M. Foss, 50, of Springfield, Illinois, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges she embezzled at least $400,000 from Don Moss and Associates, a local consulting and lobbying firm, where she had been employed as CFO. Foss allegedly misappropriated the funds over a 13 year period, from 1997 until 2010, by giving herself unauthorized bonuses and expense reimbursements.
Iain Anderson, a resident of Ventura County, California has been accused in a civil suit of embezzling at least $600,000 from AND Syndicated Productions, the producer of such syndicated programs as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and other TV shows. Anderson is described in the suit as the "Lead Production Accountant" for several of the company's programs. The suit alleges that Anderson artificially inflated production costs and other expenses as well as requested petty cash for bogus expenses, comingling production funds with his personal bank accounts and recording bogus and false payroll transactions, plus other acts of conversion. Read the complaint here. Developing...
Dana Louise Sullivan, 46, of Park Township, Michigan, has been charged with embezzling at least $150,000 from Summit Properties, a local real estate firm where she had been employed. Sullivan's thefts, which spanned at least 9 years, total as much as $500,000, according to company owner Tom Speet. Sullivan reportedly has a prior criminal arrest for embezzlement and larceny from a financial institution in 2002. She reached a plea agreement in that case, dropping the embezzlement charge.
Update (11/5/12): Sullivan, now 47, was sentenced to a minimum of 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $422,541 in restitution.
Kathleen Kau, of Honolulu, Hawaii, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling more than $360,000 from Transamerica Life Insurance Co. where she had been employed as an insurance agent. According to authorities, Kau'd theft began in March 1998 and continued through June 2003, spanning more than 5 years. Kau reportedly set up a P.O. Box and told clients that their homes were destroyed, redirecting mail to the new address. Kau kept the insurance payments for herself.
Andrea Lynn Hammond, 41, of Casper, Wyoming, has been arrested on felony theft charges for allegedly embezzling "a significant amount of funds" from the Family Crisis Services, Inc. for which she had served as Executive Director. We believe that a "significant amount of funds" suggests more than $100,000. Developing...
Update (1/14/13): Hammond pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of embezzlement of more than $20,000. She reportedly used the non-profit's credit cards for personal use and gave herself significant unauthorized salary increases over a 3 year period. The total amount understood to have been stolen is approximately $75,000.
Update (4/9/13): Hammond was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
Keri M. Geschke, 38, of DeForest, Wisconsin, has pleaded no contest to charges she embezzled some $123,000 from Sound Billing, where she had been employed as an accountant. According to authorities, the thefts were discovered by Geschke's successor at the company, who found unusual deposits from the company's account to Geschke's bank account. After the allegations surfaced in 2010, Geschke disappeared. Read the story and see her image here.
Update (12/3/12): Geschke, now 39, has been sentenced to 4 months in prison and ordered to pay full restitution.
Elizabeth Walsh, 45, of Amherst, Massachusetts, has been charged with embezzling some $112,000 from the Amherst Pelham Education Association, for which she had served as treasurer. The Association operates as the teachers union for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. Developing...
Update (12/20/12): Walsh, now 46, pleaded guilty to felony larceny charges and was ordered to pay restitution of $116,000. According to media accounts, Walsh wrote checks to herself over a 6 year period from 2006 to 2012. She blamed personal financial troubles for her actions and was spared any jail time.
Taira Desart, 43, of Kalispell, Montana, has pleaded not guilty to charges she embezzled some $154,000 from Jesco Marine and Power Sports where she had served as bookkeeper for 17 years. She has been charged with felony embezzlement and faces up to 10 years in prison. The thefts allegedly spanned a period of about 6 and a half years.
Michael Wion, 40, of Piqua, Ohio and his assistant,Tess Cremeens, 43, of Troy, Ohio, have been charged with embezzling at least $675,000 from Repacorp where Wion was employed as Controller. The misappropriation spanned approximately two years, according to authorities.
Update (4/24/13): Wion, 42, now of Venice, Forida, has pleaded not guilty to charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy to engage in corrupt activity, aggravated theft and a dozen counts of telecommunications fraud in connection with this embezzlement. The total thefts are now reported to be nearly $800,000.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Marjor Embezzlement Cases: July 1 - 7
Tabitha Caplinger, 41, and her husband, Jimmy Caplinger, 49, both of Bonham, Texas, have been charged with embezzling more than $200,000 from Fannin County Electric Co-Op where Tabitha had been employed as a pay clerk. Authorities allege that Tabitha Caplinger's thefts spanned more than a 20 year period and that her husband was an accomplice in the fraud. Developing...
Stephanie Kaye Cieslinski, 53, and her husband, Kenneth John Cieslinski, 54, both of Midland, Michigan, have been charged with embezzling nearly $1 million from local dentist Dr. Michael Smith for whom Stephanie had been employed for many years. Kenneth Cieslinski, a corrections deputy at the Bay County Jail, is alleged to have played a part in the scheme by depositing funds into bank accounts the couple controlled. Read the story and view their mugshots here.
Christina Heaven, 35, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, has been charged with embezzling more than $300,000 from PetFirst Healthcare, a pet insurance company, where she had been employed as an administrator. Heaven allegedly used her boss's social security number to open a secret checking account in the PetFirst name in 2010 and then deposited checks into it from PetFirst customers totaling $314,723, withdrawing $293,703 for her own benefit.
Kimberly A. Gostomski, 39, now of Savannah, Georgia, pleaded no contest to six felony fraud counts related to her involvement in the embezzlement of more than $163,000 in client escrow funds entrusted to Patrick "Tim" McDonald, a former Rhode Island state senator and Narragansett Town Council member. Gostomski was McDonald's secretary. Specifically, Gostomski plead no contest to conspiracy, aiding and abetting the commission of a felony, larceny of more than $500, embezzlement of more than $100, obtaining more than $500 under false pretenses and forgery and counterfeiting. McDonald faces six felony counts in his own criminal case.
Mawufemor Bierko, of Orange County, California, has been arrested in Wisconsin on suspicion he embezzled more than $100,000 from the Girl Scouts of Orange County. Bierko reportedly did "some accounting work" for the Girl Scouts. Read the story and view his mugshot here. Developing...
Debra J. Tanachion, 51, of Atwater, California, has been arrested and charged with embezzling more than $300,000 from Weimer Farms, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. Tanachion, who had been employed by Weimer Farms since 1995, is suspected of siphoning funds since at least 2006.
Billy Cypress, believed to be 62, of West Miami-Dade, Florida and the former chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of embezzling $26 million from the tribe and spending the money on numerous gambling trips, shopping sprees, real-estate investments and luxury cars. Read the story and view Cypress' image here.
Aubrey Lee Price, 46, of Southern Georgia, has been charged with embezzling about $17 million from a bank where he had served as a director. Price, who is being sought by authorities since he disappeared in June, had been entrusted by the bank to invest the funds on their behalf. He has been charged with wire fraud in absentia. Authorities are concerned that he may have fled to South America, where he has done mission work and built churches. View Price's wanted poster here. Read the complaint against Price here.
James William Riley, 48, of Corona, California and Ryan Jay Robinson, 41, of Temecula, California, face trial for allegeldy misappropriating $4 million from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. Riley was an insurance broker with Riley, Garrison & Associates and Robinson was the tribe's former CFO. According to authorities, the two conspired to divert insurance premium payments into their personal bank accounts. Read the story and view Riley's mugshot here.
Update (7/27/12): The Caplingers were both formally indicted on felony theft charges.
Update (5/3/13): Tabitha Caplinger plead guilty to felony embezzlement charges and was sentenced to seven years in state prison while her husband Jimmy Caplinger plead guilty to third degree theft and got 10 years probation.
Stephanie Kaye Cieslinski, 53, and her husband, Kenneth John Cieslinski, 54, both of Midland, Michigan, have been charged with embezzling nearly $1 million from local dentist Dr. Michael Smith for whom Stephanie had been employed for many years. Kenneth Cieslinski, a corrections deputy at the Bay County Jail, is alleged to have played a part in the scheme by depositing funds into bank accounts the couple controlled. Read the story and view their mugshots here.
Update (10/20/12): Stephanie Cieslinski was sentenced to 3 to 20 years in prison. The thefts are believed to have spanned a period of at least 10 years.
Christina Heaven, 35, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, has been charged with embezzling more than $300,000 from PetFirst Healthcare, a pet insurance company, where she had been employed as an administrator. Heaven allegedly used her boss's social security number to open a secret checking account in the PetFirst name in 2010 and then deposited checks into it from PetFirst customers totaling $314,723, withdrawing $293,703 for her own benefit.
Kimberly A. Gostomski, 39, now of Savannah, Georgia, pleaded no contest to six felony fraud counts related to her involvement in the embezzlement of more than $163,000 in client escrow funds entrusted to Patrick "Tim" McDonald, a former Rhode Island state senator and Narragansett Town Council member. Gostomski was McDonald's secretary. Specifically, Gostomski plead no contest to conspiracy, aiding and abetting the commission of a felony, larceny of more than $500, embezzlement of more than $100, obtaining more than $500 under false pretenses and forgery and counterfeiting. McDonald faces six felony counts in his own criminal case.
Mawufemor Bierko, of Orange County, California, has been arrested in Wisconsin on suspicion he embezzled more than $100,000 from the Girl Scouts of Orange County. Bierko reportedly did "some accounting work" for the Girl Scouts. Read the story and view his mugshot here. Developing...
Update (1/31/13): Bierko, now 35, and a former foreign exchange student from Ghana pleaded guilty to two felony counts of forgery in connection with the embezzlement of $102,479 from the Girl Scouts of Orange County. The thefts reportedly spanned just over a year, from January 2010 through February 2011. He was sentenced to 64 months in prison and ordered to pay full restitution. Bierko was arrested in Wisconsin while attempting to flee the country to return to Ghana.
Debra J. Tanachion, 51, of Atwater, California, has been arrested and charged with embezzling more than $300,000 from Weimer Farms, where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. Tanachion, who had been employed by Weimer Farms since 1995, is suspected of siphoning funds since at least 2006.
Billy Cypress, believed to be 62, of West Miami-Dade, Florida and the former chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of embezzling $26 million from the tribe and spending the money on numerous gambling trips, shopping sprees, real-estate investments and luxury cars. Read the story and view Cypress' image here.
Aubrey Lee Price, 46, of Southern Georgia, has been charged with embezzling about $17 million from a bank where he had served as a director. Price, who is being sought by authorities since he disappeared in June, had been entrusted by the bank to invest the funds on their behalf. He has been charged with wire fraud in absentia. Authorities are concerned that he may have fled to South America, where he has done mission work and built churches. View Price's wanted poster here. Read the complaint against Price here.
Update 4/26/13: Note this looks more like an investment fraud scheme where Price has been accused of bilking investors out of $40 million and then disappearing. He has been on the lam since June 16, 2012.
James William Riley, 48, of Corona, California and Ryan Jay Robinson, 41, of Temecula, California, face trial for allegeldy misappropriating $4 million from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. Riley was an insurance broker with Riley, Garrison & Associates and Robinson was the tribe's former CFO. According to authorities, the two conspired to divert insurance premium payments into their personal bank accounts. Read the story and view Riley's mugshot here.
Update (12/5/12): Riley and Robinson's first trial ended deadlocked.
Major Embezzlement Cases: June 24 - 30
Brenda K. Smith, 37, of Lincoln, Alabama, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for embezzling nearly $129,000 from two customer accounts at Regions Bank in Lincoln where she had been employed as a branch manager. Smith reportedly misappropriated the funds over a two year period. She was also ordered to make full restitution.
Robert Allen Wolcott Jr., 46, and Denise K. Wolcott, 43, husband and wife and both of Salisbury, North Carolina, have been charged with embezzling about $319,700 from Randall Andrews, the president of Alchem Inc., where they were both employed. They have been arrested on felony fraud charges as well as assorted drug related charges. Read the story and see their mugshots here.
Ava L. Ramey, 61, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $379,000 from the United Government Security Officers of America Local 21 over a period of four years, from 2005 through 2009, where she had served as a Union Trustee. Ramey reportedly wrote numerous checks to herself and to "cash" as well as used the union's debit card to withdraw hundreds of dollars in cash from ATMs at casinos and racetracks in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Lisa Winters, 48, believed to be of New York City, has been accused of embezzling $338,674 from Bronx Community Pride, a local LGBT resource center where she had served as executive director. She has been charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records. Winters ran the non-profit, which receives city funding, for a period of 6 years. She reportedly used some of the misappropriated funds to support a lavish lifestyle, including a $25,000 month long trip to South Africa with her wife. Read the story and see her image here.
Brian E. Tyler believed to be of Winchester, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $111,000 East Kentucky Employees Federal Credit Union where he had been employed as a manager. Authorities allege that over a period of two years, beginning in 2009, Tyler siphoned funds from the credit unit by setting up a secret account that he controlled for his own benefit.
Kristi Osborne, 46, of Washington State, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for embezzling $304,755 from three accounts she oversaw at the Frances Haddon Morgan Center where she had been employed as a fiscal analyst. The thefts reportedly spanned more than 7 yeras, from 2003 until November 2010. Osborne, who pleaded guilty this past January, forged documents and submitted false requests for funds supposedly for the benefit of the center's residents. She also reportedly inflated the amounts that had been requested and used unwitting third parties to cash the checks and return the funds to her.
Ryan P. Homa, 38, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled nearly $1.3 million over a four year period from Robinson Metals, Inc. where he had been employed. Homa reportedly wrote checks on company accounts to a phony company he created and controlled and then used the money to buy real estate, build a house, and save for his children’s college educations.
Marcella L. Arrington, 45, of Ashland, Oregon, has been indicted on charges she embezzled more than $100,000 from Body Support Systems Inc., where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. The thefts reportedly spanned a 4 1/2 year period.
Heather Kathleen Denning, 37, of Reno, Nevada, and her husband, Eric Denning, 40, have been charged with embezzling more than $500,000 from Quadrant Information Services where Heather had been employed as office manager. Details are scant at this time. Developing... Read the story and view their mugshots here.
Belinda K. Barnett, 45, who died of smoke inhilation at her mobile home in the Paradise Lakes, Washington area last month, was suspected of embezzling $100,000 from her unnamed employer where she had worked as a bookkeeper. The fire and the circumstances of Barnett's death are under investigation. No charges were filed in the alleged embezzlement case.
Robert Allen Wolcott Jr., 46, and Denise K. Wolcott, 43, husband and wife and both of Salisbury, North Carolina, have been charged with embezzling about $319,700 from Randall Andrews, the president of Alchem Inc., where they were both employed. They have been arrested on felony fraud charges as well as assorted drug related charges. Read the story and see their mugshots here.
Ava L. Ramey, 61, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $379,000 from the United Government Security Officers of America Local 21 over a period of four years, from 2005 through 2009, where she had served as a Union Trustee. Ramey reportedly wrote numerous checks to herself and to "cash" as well as used the union's debit card to withdraw hundreds of dollars in cash from ATMs at casinos and racetracks in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Update (1/7/13): Ramey was sentenced to to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling at least $379,000 and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $379,000.Glen Guin, believed to be 44 of Minden, Louisiana, is suspected of embezzling more than $100,000 from the Webster Parish Coroner Office, where he had been employed as bookkeeper. Details are scant at this time.
Update (8/7/12): Guin, aka Bobby Glen Guin, was formally indicted on malfeasance and felony theft charges. The total amount believed to have been embezzled amounted to $93,000, slightly less that what was originally believed.Bonnie Michelle Denning, 39, of Alva, Florida, has been charged with embezzling $818,339.37 from Easy Picker Golf Products Inc. where she had been employed as bookkeeper. Denning allegedly made $411,387 in personal purchases with the company debit card as well as 54 unauthorized wire transfers totaling $358,885.50. She also alletedly wrote at least one check from company accounts to pay for home improvements.
Lisa Winters, 48, believed to be of New York City, has been accused of embezzling $338,674 from Bronx Community Pride, a local LGBT resource center where she had served as executive director. She has been charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records. Winters ran the non-profit, which receives city funding, for a period of 6 years. She reportedly used some of the misappropriated funds to support a lavish lifestyle, including a $25,000 month long trip to South Africa with her wife. Read the story and see her image here.
Update (4/2/13): Winters, now 49, was sentenced to two concurrent terms of two to six years in prison.
Brian E. Tyler believed to be of Winchester, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $111,000 East Kentucky Employees Federal Credit Union where he had been employed as a manager. Authorities allege that over a period of two years, beginning in 2009, Tyler siphoned funds from the credit unit by setting up a secret account that he controlled for his own benefit.
Update (1/31/13): Tyler, now 41, was sentenced to one year in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $104,684.81.
Kristi Osborne, 46, of Washington State, has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for embezzling $304,755 from three accounts she oversaw at the Frances Haddon Morgan Center where she had been employed as a fiscal analyst. The thefts reportedly spanned more than 7 yeras, from 2003 until November 2010. Osborne, who pleaded guilty this past January, forged documents and submitted false requests for funds supposedly for the benefit of the center's residents. She also reportedly inflated the amounts that had been requested and used unwitting third parties to cash the checks and return the funds to her.
Ryan P. Homa, 38, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled nearly $1.3 million over a four year period from Robinson Metals, Inc. where he had been employed. Homa reportedly wrote checks on company accounts to a phony company he created and controlled and then used the money to buy real estate, build a house, and save for his children’s college educations.
Update (10/9/12): Homa was sentenced to 46 months in prison for embezzling what is now understood to be $1.76 million.
Marcella L. Arrington, 45, of Ashland, Oregon, has been indicted on charges she embezzled more than $100,000 from Body Support Systems Inc., where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. The thefts reportedly spanned a 4 1/2 year period.
Heather Kathleen Denning, 37, of Reno, Nevada, and her husband, Eric Denning, 40, have been charged with embezzling more than $500,000 from Quadrant Information Services where Heather had been employed as office manager. Details are scant at this time. Developing... Read the story and view their mugshots here.
Update (2/28/13): Heather Denning was sentenced to 20 years in the Nevada State Prison after pleading guilty to two counts of felony theft. According to prosecutors, "from September 2008 until April of 2012, Denning created fake billing invoices and issued company checks to pay those fake bills to her husband, Eric Denning. Denning would then transfer the money from her husband’s account to hers for her own personal use. Over that period of time, Denning issued over 150 checks for a total theft amount of $508,520."Sheila Kaye Jameson, 55, of Blandon, Pennsylvania, has been charged with felony counts of mail fraud and filing false tax returns in connection with his alleged embezzlement of approximately $1.8 million from EnerSys Corporation, where he had been employed as a Logistics Analyst. Jameson allegedly set up a phony vendor company, Aries Consulting Group, to which she funnelled money through fraudulent invoices submitted for payment.
Update (1/11/13): Jameson was sentenced to 4 years in prison and ordered to pay full restitution.
Belinda K. Barnett, 45, who died of smoke inhilation at her mobile home in the Paradise Lakes, Washington area last month, was suspected of embezzling $100,000 from her unnamed employer where she had worked as a bookkeeper. The fire and the circumstances of Barnett's death are under investigation. No charges were filed in the alleged embezzlement case.
Update (6/29/12): Media reports indicate that Barnett had been employed by Swans Moving and Storage in Bellingham, Washington. The amount embezzled is reported to be $106,000 which was taken over a 2 year period.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Major Embezzlement Cases: June 15 - 23
Mary M Sheedy, 49, of Morrisonville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $60,000 from the Morrisonville State Bank, a division of Wemple State Bank, where she had been employed as a branch manager. Sheedy reportedly embezzled a total of $235,000, but paid back about $172,000.
Jonathan Neal Leber, 36, of Glasgow , Kentucky, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly embezzling nearly $2.5 million from clients of his at Intrepid Financial Strategies. Leber reportedly took investor monies for his own benefit and invested some in his new business, Cedar Ridge Shooting Ride Academy. He has also been indicted on state forgery charges.
John R. Garris, 46, of Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $100,000 from First Citizens Bank where he had been employed as a financial services manager. Garries reportedly set up fraudulent loans and pocked the proceeds for his own benefit. The amount embezzled is believed to be as much as $99,175.
Christina Denny, 44, of Lafayette, Indiana, has been charged on 10 felony counts for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 from the Lafayette Glass Company spanning a period of about 11 years. Denny had been a "trusted" 19 year employee of the company.
Patricia Smith, 58, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in jail for embezzling more than $10 million from Baierl Acura where she had been employed as company controller. Smith reportedly spent the money to support a lavish lifestyle including "luxury trips, extravagant presents and once-in-a-lifetime experiences." Smith, who was found guilty of wire fraud, reportedly made more than 800 fraudulent transfers from company accounts to her own accounts over a period of 7 years.
Christopher Grover Head, 44, of Arlington, Texas, has been indicted on charges he embezzled more than $250,000 from Wells Fargo Bank in Fort Worth where he had been employed as a personal banker. Head allegedly used his access to transfer large sums of money to a fraudulent account he controlled.
Amy R. Eyler, 48, of Taneytown, Maryland has been charged with embezzling $118,000 from PNC Bank in Adams County, Pennsylvania where she had been employed as an assistant manager. The thefts reportedly spanned a 4 years period from 2007 through 2011.
Mary Marra, 44, of Woodridge, Illinois, pleaded guilty to two felony counts for embezzling about $550,000 from a local law firm run by attorney Justin Tedrowe, where she had been employed as a legal secretary. Marra reportedly wrote checks from firm and client accounts for her own benefit over a period of at least 5 years.
Elizabeth Ann Masters, 44, of Aguanga, California, has been charged with embezzling 5.74 million from PROformance Apparel in San Marcos where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Masters forged more than 700 company payroll checks and deposited them into her personal bank accounts. She reportedly used some of the misappropriated funds to purchase a horse ranch in Aguanga. Masters was arrested in New Mexico after apparently attempting to evade authorities. She had disappeared in March after the thefts were revealed in an audit.
Sheila Marie Wright, 52, of Lynchburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $364,000 from customer accounts at Bank of the James where she had been employed as a branch manager. Wright reportedly stole the money to feed a gambling habit. She had been an 8 1/2 employee of the bank.
Jonathan Neal Leber, 36, of Glasgow , Kentucky, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly embezzling nearly $2.5 million from clients of his at Intrepid Financial Strategies. Leber reportedly took investor monies for his own benefit and invested some in his new business, Cedar Ridge Shooting Ride Academy. He has also been indicted on state forgery charges.
Update (6/29/12): Leber was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
John R. Garris, 46, of Beckley, West Virginia, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $100,000 from First Citizens Bank where he had been employed as a financial services manager. Garries reportedly set up fraudulent loans and pocked the proceeds for his own benefit. The amount embezzled is believed to be as much as $99,175.
Christina Denny, 44, of Lafayette, Indiana, has been charged on 10 felony counts for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 from the Lafayette Glass Company spanning a period of about 11 years. Denny had been a "trusted" 19 year employee of the company.
Patricia Smith, 58, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in jail for embezzling more than $10 million from Baierl Acura where she had been employed as company controller. Smith reportedly spent the money to support a lavish lifestyle including "luxury trips, extravagant presents and once-in-a-lifetime experiences." Smith, who was found guilty of wire fraud, reportedly made more than 800 fraudulent transfers from company accounts to her own accounts over a period of 7 years.
Christopher Grover Head, 44, of Arlington, Texas, has been indicted on charges he embezzled more than $250,000 from Wells Fargo Bank in Fort Worth where he had been employed as a personal banker. Head allegedly used his access to transfer large sums of money to a fraudulent account he controlled.
Amy R. Eyler, 48, of Taneytown, Maryland has been charged with embezzling $118,000 from PNC Bank in Adams County, Pennsylvania where she had been employed as an assistant manager. The thefts reportedly spanned a 4 years period from 2007 through 2011.
Mary Marra, 44, of Woodridge, Illinois, pleaded guilty to two felony counts for embezzling about $550,000 from a local law firm run by attorney Justin Tedrowe, where she had been employed as a legal secretary. Marra reportedly wrote checks from firm and client accounts for her own benefit over a period of at least 5 years.
Update (9/10/12): Marra was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Elizabeth Ann Masters, 44, of Aguanga, California, has been charged with embezzling 5.74 million from PROformance Apparel in San Marcos where she had been employed as a bookkeeper. According to authorities, Masters forged more than 700 company payroll checks and deposited them into her personal bank accounts. She reportedly used some of the misappropriated funds to purchase a horse ranch in Aguanga. Masters was arrested in New Mexico after apparently attempting to evade authorities. She had disappeared in March after the thefts were revealed in an audit.
Update (7/10/12): Masters has plead not guilty to the charges.
Update (4/15/13): Masters, now 45, was sentenced to 9 years in state prison. Proformance Apparel reportedly did not survive as a business, which had to lay off its 90 employees as a result of Masters' thefts.
Sheila Marie Wright, 52, of Lynchburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $364,000 from customer accounts at Bank of the James where she had been employed as a branch manager. Wright reportedly stole the money to feed a gambling habit. She had been an 8 1/2 employee of the bank.
Update (9/26/12): Wright was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $364,894.76 in restitution.
Catching Up
We have been very busy at Marquet International and have not given FraudTalk the attention it requires this past month and a half. So we are going to try to catch up and get these stories out as best we can. To do so efficiently, we are going to give shorter briefs on a number of cases in each blog post until we are up to date. Please bear with us.
- Chris
- Chris
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