Former Vermillion Township Clerk Sentenced To Prison For Fraud Scheme
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Twin Cities woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in federal prison and ordered to pay back more than $650,000 she admitted to stealing from Vermillion Township in Dakota County while serving as its elected clerk.
Maryann Stoffel, 70, of Hastings, pleaded guilty in March to felony wire fraud in connection with a scheme that spanned nearly eight years.
Stoffel had signature authority over the township's bank account, which required two people signing off on checks, according to the complaint. Investigators said she either forged the signatures of the township's treasurer or board chair or collected their actual signatures on blank checks while claiming she was going to pay township bills.
Instead, Stoffel put the funds in her personal bank account and then left off the payments to herself from the township's annual report.
U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schultz sentenced Stoffel to 27 months in prison and ordered restitution of $652,674.66.
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