Olive Township Trustee John Michalski is admitting he spent township tax money for his own use.
Michalski, 72, on Monday pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one count of official misconduct, each a class D felony.
The St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office says Michalski took township funds for his personal use between December 2009 and November 14, 2011.
Police launched a criminal investigation in 2012 based on a report from the State Board of Accounts. A further investigation was done by law enforcement, including the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department with help from field examiners from the State Board of Accounts.
According to an audit of the township's finances by the State Board of Accounts, someone with access to the township's debit card withdrew more than $1,600 from ATMs at Blue Chip and Horseshoe casinos in northwest Indiana and Mystic Hills Casino in Prior Lake, Minn., just outside Minneapolis.
The withdrawals were made on six separate occasions between Dec. 31, 2009, and Nov. 14, 2011, according to the report. Two of the withdrawals, totaling $600, were made on the same day — March 31, 2010 — at Blue Chip Casino.
The withdrawals were made on six separate occasions between Dec. 31, 2009, and Nov. 14, 2011, according to the report. Two of the withdrawals, totaling $600, were made on the same day — March 31, 2010 — at Blue Chip Casino.
The report also documents unsubstantiated assistance payments made by the township to various parties, including at least one town of New Carlisle employee, totaling more than $3,700, as well as other questioned expenses and record and bookkeeping issues in the trustee’s office.
Someone altered the corresponding bank statements in an apparent attempt to conceal the transactions, the report states. And no evidence was provided to substantiate that the money was used to cover legitimate township expenses.
Someone altered the corresponding bank statements in an apparent attempt to conceal the transactions, the report states. And no evidence was provided to substantiate that the money was used to cover legitimate township expenses.
...
