February 9, 2025

WICHITA — The former city clerk of Thayer has pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling $120,000. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Laura Whittley, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. She admitted to stealing money from the city in several ways, he said. She pocketed cash paid for utility bills, municipal court payments, and parks and wildlife licenses and permits, wrote city checks to herself, used a city credit card to pay for her personal purchases, and submitted fraudulent bills for clean-up work done after a large storm in may 2009. Grissom said to conceal the thefts, Whittley presented a fraudulent letter to Emprise Bank in Chanute directing the bank to cash a $100,000 certificate of deposit belonging to the city. She had the bank put $50,000 into a new CD, and she deposited some of the remaining proceeds into the city’s account. Sentencing is Aug. 13.
Tuesday, May 22, 3 p.m.

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