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Former Nonprofit Director Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling Over $161,000 from Youth Mentorship Program

A former executive director of a Dubois County nonprofit has been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling over $161,000 from a youth mentorship program. Ellen L. Corn, 50, will serve 21 months in prison and pay over $121,000 in restitution for her crimes, which spanned five years and included unauthorized transactions and the withholding of scholarship notifications.

Key Takeaways

  • Ellen L. Corn, former director of Mentors for Youth in Dubois County, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.
  • She pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud.
  • Corn embezzled a total of $161,344.85 over a five-year period.
  • She has been ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution.
  • The crimes involved using the organization’s credit card for personal expenses, unauthorized PayPal transfers, and debit/check purchases.

Abuse of Trust and Financial Misappropriation

Ellen Corn, who served as the Executive Director for a Dubois County nonprofit dedicated to youth mentoring and providing college scholarships, has been sentenced after admitting to wire fraud. Over a period of five years, from March 2017 to August 2022, Corn systematically stole funds totaling $161,344.85.

Her methods of embezzlement included:

  • Making approximately 1,226 unauthorized transactions using the organization’s credit card for personal purchases at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
  • Using the funds to pay tuition for her children’s college education.
  • Transferring money from the nonprofit’s PayPal account to her personal account.
  • Making unauthorized purchases directly from the nonprofit’s checking account via debit card and check.

Concealment and Impact on Services

To cover her illicit activities, Corn manipulated the organization’s finances. She ensured sufficient funds were available for her personal expenses by reducing funding for certain departments and programs. In a particularly egregious act in 2022, she failed to notify a first-generation college student that they had been selected to receive a scholarship.

Corn actively concealed her fraud by deliberately omitting the unauthorized transactions from the nonprofit’s accounting records. These falsified records were then regularly presented to the Board of Directors and the organization’s tax preparer, further betraying the trust placed in her.

Sentencing and Accountability

United States Attorney Tom Wheeler stated that Corn abused her position of trust, stealing from an organization meant to serve local youth. He emphasized that her crimes harmed the program’s ability to serve young people and betrayed public trust. The sentence aims to hold her accountable and demonstrates a commitment to protecting community nonprofits from fraud.

Corn was sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution. The U.S. Secret Service and the Jasper Police Department investigated the case, with Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller prosecuting.

Sources

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