Former City Clerk in Havana Sentenced for Embezzlement

WICHITA, KS—A former city clerk for the city of Havana, Kansas, was sentenced Wednesday to two years’ supervised release, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She also was ordered to pay a total of more than $59,000 in restitution to the city of Havana, Cross Point Baptist Church, and an insurance company.

Diana L. Cox, 67, Havana, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted embezzling $14,658 from the city of Havana while she was working as city clerk. On August 18, 2011, she presented documents to the Arvest Bank in Caney, Kansas, falsely stating that the Havana City Council had voted to change its policy to require only one signature on checks written for city business.

She also admitted that while she was treasurer of the Cross Point Baptist Church, she devised a scheme to defraud the church of approximately $44,568. On December 30, 2011, she caused the church to electronically transfer approximately $2,536 to Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance to make a mortgage payment due on her daughter’s home.

Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst for their work on the case.