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Sedgwick County Releases Timeline Of Events Following $566K Fraud Arrest

Nick Ares, flickr Creative Commons

Sedgwick County has released additional information about the fraudulent activity that resulted in the theft of over $566,000 last fall.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that a 48-year-old man from Georgia had been arrested and charged with wire fraud in relation to the crime. According to county officials, nearly $22,500 of the missing funds has been recovered to date. The county is continuing to “pursue all avenues of potential recovery.”

“We have collaborated closely with law enforcement and are grateful for the work of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, which, along with the assistance of the FBI, so diligently investigated this crime,” said County Manager Mike Scholes. “Through this cooperation, excellent investigations and careful control of the release of information, law enforcement was able to make an arrest.”

The county released the following timeline of events regarding the missing funds:

  • Sept. 23, 2016: Sedgwick County receives a request to change banking information for Cornejo & Sons, LLC. It is completed using an old ACH form, purportedly signed by Ronald Cornejo, and sent via email to Sedgwick County Finance.
  • Sept. 30, 2016: Sedgwick County Finance receives request for payment for Public Works Project.
  • Oct. 6, 2016: Payment issued via ACH to new bank account number
  • Oct. 7, 2016: Payment received in new account.
  • Oct. 25, 2016: Sedgwick County Accounts Payable receives inquiry from Cornejo as to status of payment.
  • Oct. 25, 2016: Finance Department filed a report with the Sheriff’s Office noting that the payment had not reached the intended recipient.
  • Oct. 26, 2016: Cornejo paid by checked for the amount lost in the fraudulent transaction.
  • Jan. 23, 2017: Suspect arrested.

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