Ex-treasurer Convicted For Embezzlement From Hancock-area Organizations
Thursday, a man from the Hancock region was given a jail sentence of 18 months for misusing $50,443 that belonged to two community organizations. Mark K. Boyer, the Circuit Court Judge of Washington County, refused the defense's plea for a postponement of sentencing, citing that John P. True had not done enough to reimburse the Tonoloway Rod & Gun Club located near Hancock and the James W. Bowers Masonic Lodge of the same city.
In October, as per court documents, True submitted an Alford plea to the accusation of fraudulently and deliberately misappropriating funds from both organizations. True had been the treasurer for both groups prior. An Alford plea does not affirm guilt but concedes that the prosecution has sufficient proof to guarantee a conviction.
The plea agreement led to the dismissal of felony theft charges and other counts. Boyer declared on Thursday that, though he's uncertain where the funds that True had wrongfully taken had gone to, he was not confident that True was ignorant of it. David Harbin, representing his client in court, questioned them about the whereabouts of the large sum of money that had been moved between the various clubs. At the age of 65 and with multiple health issues, True responded that a contractor had been paid with Masonic Lodge funds, but he couldn't recall the destination of the remaining money. Boyer was informed by Harbin that True experienced a stroke a few years ago and has difficulty with recollection. At the beginning of the proceeding, True had a moment of distress and was quivering.
The judge was informed by True's wife that she and her kids attempted to determine the fate of the money. She said there were payments to businesses like PayPal, and the closest they could get to a conclusion was that gambling, specifically online poker, was involved. However, she still had no idea where the money had gone. Answering questions and detailing the family's financial woes, the wife sometimes became emotional. She expressed surprise at the embezzlement claims being made against her spouse. Harbin queried True about a potential gambling difficulty, to which True answered, "No, sir." Harbin restated the inquiry, and True paused before replying, "I don't remember." Harbin implored Boyer to provide a suspended sentence or to hold off on sentencing for True to be able to obtain medical attention. He maintained that the Washington County Detention Center or prison wouldn't be able to properly care for True due to their medical conditions, which have led to multiple amputations. Entering the courtroom, True had to rely on a walker. Boyer recognized the situation's complexity; however, he declared True to be "skillful enough to handle this Ponzi scheme. His medical condition does not allow him to live his life stealing money."
The judge stated that the sentence should serve to admonish and discourage similar offenses in the future when sentencing True. Boyer stated that he had been granted authority from both organizations and misused it. The court mandated a five-year prison term for True in the gun club case, except 18 months which were suspended. Additionally, True was handed a consecutive five-year prison sentence, all of which was suspended in the Masonic Temple case. Boyer declared that True should begin his jail time at the detention center by 3 p.m. on Friday so that he could attend his medical appointment before then. Upon his release, True will be subject to a period of five years of supervised probation.
Utilizing a professional investigator to conduct #backgroundcheck should be part of your SOP, not just when problems arise. Good leadership has a proactive approach to managing their investment utilizing #duediligenceinvestigation to their fullest advantage. Invetech LLC helps clients mitigate financial loss by providing actionable insight solutions with due diligence investigation.
