Former Columbia City Parks and Recreation Superintendent Mark Green found himself in hot water after being caught red-handed embezzling over $240,000 from the city’s funds. The scandalous revelation unraveled after an investigation initiated by Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel in March 2023 raised suspicions about financial discrepancies within the department.
Partnering with the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana State Board of Accounts, a thorough investigation was launched, ultimately leading to Green’s dismissal from his role as superintendent. Shockingly, court documents disclosed that Green had shamelessly splurged approximately $246,000 on baseball cards, using the city’s credit card to fuel his extravagant hobby. What’s more, he resorted to selling some of the cards on eBay to cover his tracks, later confessing to the unauthorized expenditures from the city’s coffers.
Initially confronted with a slew of charges including four counts of corrupt business influence, four theft charges, and one for official misconduct, Green opted to plead guilty in April 2024 to a single theft charge as part of a plea agreement. This agreement not only led to the dropping of all other charges but also mandated Green to reimburse the staggering sum of $275,628. The restitution included repaying $100,000 to a bond company and the remaining $175,628 to the city, compensating for his deceitful actions.
The final hammer came down on Green during his sentencing on Monday, where the court decreed a three-year sentence. The first year of his term is set to commence either behind bars or through a work release program, followed by two years under probationary supervision. The severity of the sentence underscored the gravity of Green’s breach of trust and misuse of public funds, sending a clear message about the repercussions of such betrayal.
This scandal has cast a shadow over Columbia City’s Parks and Recreation Department, revealing glaring gaps in financial oversight and accountability. Calls for stringent controls and heightened vigilance have been sounded, in a bid to prevent similar incidents of corruption and embezzlement from tarnishing the city’s reputation in the future. The saga serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of abusing one’s position of authority for personal gain, and the importance of upholding integrity and transparency in public service.