County funds lost in Nigerian scam

[Algae]

County funds lost in Nigerian scam

The longtime treasurer of Alcona County was accused Wednesday in an embezzlement scheme in which he may have served as both perpetrator and victim, sending up to $1.25 million in county funds and his own life savings to con artists after falling for one of the notorious online Nigerian banking frauds.


Thomas Katona, 56, of Harrisville was charged with nine felonies, including embezzlement and fraud, after a monthlong investigation by state authorities of numerous unauthorized wire transfers he allegedly made of county funds to overseas bank accounts.

[Malruhn]

I am speechless. What... How... But...

Forget it, I got nothin' on this one.

[hambubba]

Well damn.

Sorta like taking out a loan to play at the casino... you know you are in trouble when you lose the first bet... but you have to keep playing to try to get enough to pay the money back.

But... yeah... over a quarter of the county's annual budget? Yeep!