Swink Woman Pleads Guilty To Theft Of Federal Program Funds

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lori Rae Baskin, age 50, of Swink, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Theft from Organization Receiving Federal Program Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both. 

The Information alleged that from on or about February 3, 2012, until on or about June 30, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, being an agent, employee, and officer of Swink Dependent School District No. C-21, an agency of a State government, which received in excess of $10,000 in federal benefits in each one year period from 2012 through 2015, stole, obtained by fraud, and without authority knowingly converted to the use of a person not the rightful owner, property of a value of $5,000 or more, owned by, under the care of, and under the control of Swink Dependent School District No. C-21. 

The charges arose from an investigation by the Department of Education Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  

The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.  

Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.