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The former finance director for the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for stealing over $125,000 in public funds intended for community programs and nonprofit organizations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced Tuesday.
Regene Newmen, who served as finance director from 2015 to 2021, used the prosecutor’s office credit card, a debit card for “My Goals,” a nonprofit operating under the office to assist at-risk youth, a separate county credit card and the checking account of a local nonprofit that supports individuals battling addiction to make personal purchases at retailers like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Bath and Body Works, Bra Goddess, Hobby Lobby, Target and Macy’s, according to court documents.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard Young in Evansville. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller.
Newman already has already paid more than $100,o00 in restitution to two victims and settled privately with a third, authorities said.
Newman’s attorney, Jake Warrum of Warrum Law Office, did not immediately respond to The Indiana Lawyer’s request for comment.
“Regene Newman stole from public institutions and nonprofit organizations whose mission was to serve vulnerable members of the Vanderburgh County community,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “She deliberately exploited positions of public trust to fund a lifestyle of self-indulgence—stealing not only taxpayer dollars, but also resources earmarked for addiction treatment and youth intervention.”
According to court documents, Newman made over $60,000 in unauthorized purchases with the “My Goals” debit card between March 2016 and March 2021. To hide her tracks, she arranged for the prosecutor’s office to make “donations” to the nonprofit by submitting false accounts payable vouchers. The donations were intended to create the appearance that the funds would be used to support the organization’s mission of helping the community.
Also during that time, Newman made over $26,000 in unauthorized purchases using the prosecutor’s office credit card.
In June 2021, Newman left the prosecutor’s office and became the business director for Vanderburgh County Community Corrections, where she gained access to the county credit card and a nonprofit’s checking account. With new access, she made an additional $10,725 in credit card purchases and over $23,000 debit card purchases.
The FBI and the Indiana State Board of Accounts investigated the case.
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