Former Dubois County Nonprofit Director Sentenced for Embezzling Over $161,000 from Youth Mentorship Program

EVANSVILLE- Ellen L. Corn, 50, of Petersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud. Corn has also been ordered to pay $121,439.72 in restitution.

According to court documents, from March 2017 to August 2022, Ellen Corn served as the Executive Director for a Dubois County nonprofit that facilitates a youth mentoring program and provides college scholarships for local high school students. During her employment, Corn had various financial responsibilities including entering all income and expenses into the organization’s accounting software and had access to the organization’s credit card.

Over that five-year period, Corn stole a total of $161,344.85 via several methods, including by using the organization’s credit card to pay for personal expenses at various businesses and restaurants, such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart, and to make tuition payments to colleges for her children. She made approximately 1,226 unauthorized transactions with the credit card. Corn also stole funds by making unauthorized transfers from the organization’s PayPal account to her personal PayPal account. Additionally, Corn made unauthorized purchases directly from the nonprofit’s checking account via debit card and check. 

Corn ensured that the organization’s accounts had enough funds to pay for her illegitimate expenses by reducing funding for certain departments and programs. In 2022, she also failed to notify a first-generation college student that the student had been selected to receive a scholarship.

To conceal her fraud, Corn deliberately omitted the unauthorized transactions from the nonprofit’s accounting records, which she regularly presented to the Board of Directors and the organization’s tax preparer.

“Ellen Corn abused her position of trust and stole from an organization dedicated to serving and mentoring local youth. Her crimes not only harmed the program and its ability to serve young people but also betrayed the trust of the public who support and rely on its mission,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This sentence holds her accountable and demonstrates our commitment to protecting community nonprofits from fraud and financial exploitation.”

“The sentencing in this case holds Ellen Corn accountable for violating the trust she held as the executive director of an organization focused on mentoring youth. It also reinforces the U.S. Secret Service’s commitment to pursuing officials who shamefully break the public’s trust by illegally enriching themselves through fraud and deception,” said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “Thanks to the Jasper Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana for pursuing this case.”

“This case is a testament to the dedication and diligence of Detective Sergeant Greg Brescher, whose thorough investigation uncovered a serious breach of public trust. Thank you to those that came forward to provide the initial information as it your courage to contact us played a vital role in bringing this case to light.  We are proud of the strong collaboration between the Jasper Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice, which ensured that justice was served. Our agency remains steadfast in its commitment to holding individuals accountable, no matter their position, and to protecting the integrity of programs that serve our community’s youth.”

The U.S. Secret Service and Jasper Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.

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