NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

FEBRUARY 24, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO

EMBEZZLING $600,000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former federal government employee pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling nearly $600,000 from the government.

Michael T. Harrington, 44, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple this afternoon to the charges contained in an Oct. 30, 2008, federal indictment.

Harrington was employed as a supervisory accountant at GSA. By pleading guilty today, Harrington admitted to stealing $593,549 between May 9, 2006, and May 5, 2008, while he was employed at the GSA office at 1500 E. Bannister Rd., Kansas City. Harrington created 13 government refund payment vouchers made payable to the MWR Fund, a fictitious business entity he created, and directed the checks to be deposited into the fund’s bank account.

Harrington also pleaded guilty to money laundering related to the financial transactions involving funds that were derived from the embezzlement.

Under federal statutes, Harrington is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Michael Warner. It was investigated by the General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

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