MADISON, WI—John W. Vaudreuil, United
States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Timothy
L. Kosier, 45, town of Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced today to 36 months in
federal prison by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley for stealing and
converting to his own use funds belonging to the city of Beloit. Kosier pleaded
guilty to a one-count indictment on February 16, 2012. He was also ordered to
pay restitution to the city of Beloit.
From September 15, 1997 to June 8, 2011,
Kosier acted as the water resources maintenance supervisor for the Water
Resources Department in Beloit. Kosier supervised maintenance performed on
Water Resources Center Buildings and related facilities in Beloit. Given his
position, Kosier had authority to purchase items necessary to maintain and
repair the building and related facilities that were under his control and the
authority to hire outside contractors when necessary. Kosier had the ability to
purchase items from vendors on behalf of the city of Beloit. He also had access
to two store credit cards in the name of the city of Beloit for purchasing
necessary items at those stores.
On June 7, 2011, the Human Resources
Department of the city of Beloit received a letter from an anonymous city
employee who reported that Kosier was purchasing home improvement products for
his own personal use with city funds. The employee noted that, most recently,
Kosier had used one of the city’s store credit cards to purchase a residential
lawn tractor for $2,900 that could not be located by city staff. That lawnmower
was subsequently located on the property of one of Kosier’s relatives, and
Kosier was suspended pending a full investigation. He left Wisconsin shortly
after his suspension.
The investigation revealed that Kosier
had purchased numerous items using city funds, such as furnaces and water
heaters, for his own personal use and for his use in a residential heating and
cooling business that he was operating as a side-business during his employment
with the City. Kosier also approved for payment numerous invoices from an
outside contractor despite knowing that the invoices contained fraudulent
representations about the amount of work performed. The total loss to the city
of Beloit was $882,926.
On August 24, 2011, Kosier was arrested
in Hawaii on these federal charges. He was detained and ordered removed back to
Wisconsin, where he has remained in custody.
United States Attorney John W. Vaudreuil
commended the anonymous city employee who reported the theft and said, “Kosier’s
criminal acts undercut the tradition of honest government in Wisconsin. He was
privileged to work for the citizens of Beloit, and he had a duty to act
honestly. He violated that duty and his prison sentence holds him accountable.”
The charges against Kosier were the
result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
Beloit Police Department, with the cooperation of the city of Beloit. The
prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P.
Duchemin.
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