Former Crawford County 911 Director Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud

WICHITA—A former 911 director for Crawford County, Kansas, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

John Gagliardo, 60, Pittsburg, Kansas, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of mail fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred in 2011 while he was serving as 911 Director for Crawford County, Kansas, and also working as a salesman at Washington Electronics at 611 N. Pine in Pittsburg, Kansas.

In 2011 Dave Gobel, an employee of the Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks, was responsible for obtaining storm warning equipment for Farlington, Kansas, and an area around Crawford County State Park. Gobel prepared a grant application to the state of Kansas. He solicited a bid for the equipment from Washington Electronics. In addition to supplying Gobel a legitimate bid from Washington Electronics, Gagliardo supplied Gobel with a fraudulent bid from a non-existent company called K-Sirens of Scammon, Kansas. Goebel did not ask for the second bid and did not know it was fraudulent. The fraudulent bid was for a higher amount than the legitimate bid from Washington Electronics.

Sentencing is set for February 19. The parties have agreed to recommend probation.

Co-defendant George Washington is set for sentencing February 10.

Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.