Humane Society Financial Advisor Sentenced To Prison For Embezzling And Money Laundering

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of St. Marys, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months in jail and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $414,649.39 on his conviction of wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Maurice B. Cohill, Jr. imposed the sentence on Richard Danz, 49. According to information presented to the court, Danz was the financial advisor/accountant for the Elk County Humane Society. From in and around September 2008 to in and around June 2012, Danz embezzled $422,017.81 from the Elk County Humane Society and another individual. Danz spent the embezzled funds on luxury items including a Mercedes-Benz and a kitchen remodeling.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cohill noted the significant harm caused by Danz, which included the loss of seven jobs at the Elk County Humane Society and the reduced ability to provide critical services to abandoned animals.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of St. Marys, Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Danz.