IONIA TWP., Mich. (News 10) – The former treasurer of Ionia Township is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing nearly $750,000 in taxpayer dollars over the course of a decade.
Marylin Harp, 74, was charged Tuesday in an alleged bank fraud scheme. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey alleges Harp wrote fraudulent checks from an Ionia Township-controlled account to pay for her own personal expenses.
Court documents say the allegations include spending the money on credit card bills and expenses associated with the construction of a vacation home.
In total, federal authorities allege Harp fraudulently withdrew more than $747,000.
“These transactions defrauded the Township because the defendant fraudulently represented the withdrawals as legitimate Township payments and concealed the withdrawals from it as the owner of the bank account,” the complaint says.
The feds say Harp also made…
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.