May 13, 2010
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News: Prison Employee Faces Bars
A former U.S. penitentiary employee will soon be facing prison doors but the next time it'll be from the inside rather than the outside looking in. Michelle Dunmeyer, who worked for the U.S. Federal Prison in Atlanta, Georgia as a contract specialists for the prison used the government issued credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases. Dunmeyer was issued the credit card for use in purchasing necessary business related supplies for prison employees. It goes beyond compensation how Dunmeyer would justify using the government issued credit card to purchase over $15,000 worth of a number of electronic devices including Apple iPods, Apple iPod shuffles, Nintendo Game Boys, TVs and DVD players. When questioned about the purchases, Dunmeyer told authorities that she had been given permission from her supervisor to use the card to make personal purchases.
The U.S. Attorney's office said Dunmeyer used the government issued credit card to purchase a number of other items including small tech gadgets and uniforms for her son's baseball team. Furthermore, Dunmeyer used a government issued gasoline credit card that was issued to her to purchase fuel for government vehicles that she drove to perform her duties to make over $6,000 in gas purchases for her personal vehicle. Dunmeyer was able to get away with the theft without notice for some time because she submitted false documentation to cover the unauthorized purchases. Law officials indicted Dunmeyer on five counts of stealing government funds in connection to the abuse of the government issued credit cards. She was also charged with two counts of falsifying documents to government agencies. In a federal court, she pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government property over $1,000. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine in addition to restitution to the U.S. Government. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 13th.