NEWS RELEASE

July 6, 2010

Contact:  James Wensits, president of board of directors of South Bend Area Crime Stoppers

Subject:  Internal and criminal investigation

South Bend Area Crime Stoppers recently became aware that its 501(c)(3) status with the IRS was in jeopardy, although still intact, for failure to file annual reports. 

James Wensits, president of the board of directors for South Bend Area Crime Stoppers, along with Lt. Cindy Kilgore, police coordinator, led an internal inquiry into the matter.  The primary responsibility of the police coordinator is to oversee the day-to-day operation of receiving and disseminating crime tips, while the board of directors is charged with financial and administrative matters.  In the process of reviewing records it was discovered that annual reports had also failed to be filed with the Indiana Secretary of State and Department of Revenue. 

As the board continued its inquiry, a discrepancy in financial figures was discovered.  It has been confirmed that an undetermined amount of funds, (acquired through fundraising efforts), on deposit with local banks cannot be accounted for, and that this situation may date back as much as ten years or more.  The actual amount won’t be known until further investigation is completed.  Crime Stoppers has hired an accounting firm to delve into this matter.  In addition, fraud investigator Sgt. Dominic Zultanski of the South Bend Police Department has begun a criminal investigation. 

The accounting firm has begun the process of correcting and updating the organization’s filing status with the government agencies.  In addition, mechanisms are being put in place to minimize or eliminate the risk of this situation occurring again.  In the meantime, Crime Stoppers continues to operate as usual, taking crime tips and paying rewards. 

“The board became aware of a problem, and we immediately contacted proper authorities, who have begun an investigation”, said Wensits.  “The South Bend Police Department is handling the criminal investigation.  No further information can be released while the investigation is in progress”. 

While the South Bend Police Department and the City of South Bend are major supporters, South Bend Area Crime Stoppers, as with Crime Stoppers programs nationwide, is not a government entity. 

The St. Joseph County Prosecutor`s office has filed a charge of theft, class C felony, against George Timlin in the theft of funds from South Bend Area Crime Stoppers.  Timlin had been the treasurer for our organization for over 20 years. 

"It saddens us that these charges have been filed against someone who was a trusted member of our board of directors for more than two decades," said James Wensits, board president. "It angers us that we were blinded by that trust to the extent that we did not realize until fairly recently that money was being siphoned from our bank account."