NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

MATT J. WHITWORTH

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

AUGUST 13, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE SENTENCED

FOR EMBEZZLING NEARLY $600,000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former federal government employee was sentenced in federal court today for embezzling nearly $600,000 from the government.

Michael T. Harrington, 44, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple this afternoon to three years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Harrington to pay $593,549 in restitution.

Harrington was employed as a supervisory accountant at GSA. On Feb. 24, 2009, Harrington pleaded guilty 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 admitted that he 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.

This case was 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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