Indictment: Former Osawatomie Recreation Director Embezzled More Than $125,000

WICHITA, KAN. - The former recreation director for the City of Osawatomie is scheduled to appear in court this month on a federal indictment alleging he embezzled more than $125,000 from the city, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Monday.

Ron Maring, 53, Osawatomie, Kan., is scheduled for an initial appearance March 27 in U.S. District Court in Wichita. He is charged with four counts of tax fraud and 10 counts of money laundering.

The indictment alleges that from 2008 to 2011 while Maring was director of the Osawatomie Recreation Commission he embezzled approximately $125,665. He wrote checks from the recreation commission’s account to himself and to American Legion Baseball. He converted the money for his own use and not for the use of the recreation commission or American Legion Baseball.

As part of the scheme, he persuaded recreation commission board members to sign blank checks, used his own signature as an endorsement, instructed a recreation commission employee to endorse checks and forged the name of recreation commission members.

The indictment alleges he failed to report the embezzled money as income on his 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 federal income taxes. The indictment also cites 10 dates in 2011 in which Maring deposited stolen funds into his personal account.

The Osawatomie Police Department, the Kansas Department of Revenue, Office of Special Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.