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A woman who worked as an accounting specialist at WFYI Public Media from 2018 to 2020 and her co-conspirator have been sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $270,000 from the Indianapolis public television and radio broadcaster.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the sentences Tuesday.
Mindi B. Madison, 53, of Indianapolis, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in April, was also ordered to pay $270,876 in restitution by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
Madison’s co-conspirator, Alicia Wilson, 37, of Indianapolis, also was sentenced to three years’ probation, with the first 15 months on home detention. She also was ordered to pay restitution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Madison — who had access to WFYI’s accounting software and handled claims and invoices — worked with Wilson, who was not a WFYI employee, to embezzle funds from WFYI into their personal checking accounts.
Investigators said Madison presented at least 156 fake claims and invoices for payment in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In order to conceal the theft from WFYI and their banking institutions, Madison tendered WFYI checks to Wilson, and they agreed that Wilson would then deposit the checks into her bank accounts. Wilson then withdrew Madison’s portion in cash, and they split the illegal proceeds.
Madison and Wilson used the stolen funds for personal expenditures including rent, restaurants, groceries, fuel and utilities.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston.
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