Former Village Manager of Stevensville Convicted

GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Todd Allen Gardner, the former Village Manager and Treasurer of the Village of Stevensville, was found guilty by a jury of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. Gardner, as village manager and/or treasurer, had primary authority over Village bank accounts to pay for village expenses and to purchase goods for the village. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the conviction at a sentencing hearing scheduled for October. The Hon. Janet Neff presided over the trial and will sentence Gardner on October 18, 2010.

The jury heard evidence that from April 1, 2006 to May 31, 2009, Gardner abused his authority by misappropriating approximately $270,000 of Village of Stevensville funds for his own use and benefit, including to pay the mortgage on his house, to pay his utilities and dry cleaning bills and to purchase a sport utility vehicle. Gardner wired the funds for his own use out of bank accounts designated for “public works,” “major streets,” a “building fund,” “construction administration,” and the “Downtown Development Authority.” Gardner did not testify in his own defense and, after hearing all of the evidence, the jury took less than an hour to convict him.

This was “a case about a corrupt public official,” U.S. Attorney Davis stated. The U.S.

Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) consider allegations of public corruption to be of the highest importance and priority. “As I have said before, the respect and confidence the citizens place in their governmental institutions is dependant upon the honest and faithful services of the governmental employee. This office will aggressively pursue and prosecute governmental employees who violate their solemn oath and duties. We did so here, and justice was served.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, St. Joseph office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Borgula.