Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Innovate Mississippi CFO pleaded guilty to embezzlement

Former Innovate Mississippi CFO Tonya Klauser pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement in U.S. District Court on October 21, 2014.  The bill of information states she embezzled $395,484 from Innovate Mississippi.  The embezzlement occured from 2010 to 2013.  Judge Tom Lee sentenced her on September 3, 2015: 


30 days incarceration; 2 months halfway house; 3 years supervised release, with 6 months being home confinement; $598,143.38 restitution; $100 special assessment. Signed by District Judge Tom S. Lee on 9/10/2015 (ND)
 Attorney Cliff Johnson represented Klauser. 

Note: Sorry about the second post.  The conviction was discovered after the Innovate Mississippi lawsuit story was posted.  It seemed easier to just write a second post than cram everything into one monster story.







  

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought the CFO was supposed to get a slap on the wrist and the CEO should get life. That's what Bernie got and he didn't steal anything.

Anonymous said...

How are any of the board still around? That a lot of money for such a small agency. I'm in the wrong business.

Anonymous said...

Is that normal for a guilty plea to be entered and the sentence not imposed until a year later? I see that she reports to prison in 12 days

Anonymous said...

There has been a lot more wasted by this pork barrel boondoggle than Ms. Klauser ever embezzled. It's time to shut this thing down. I remember when the R&D Center was referred to as the "Reading and Dozing" Center. Innovate Mississippi has picked up the R&D ball and run with it. The only thing that appears to have been Innovated is cushy, do nothing jobs for the people who work there.

Anonymous said...

12:37. Like many reading this post, I lost a lot of money on Bernie's company. That being said, he got screwed. Period.

Kingfish said...

Maybe it's time for him to get out after what they gave to Corzine.

Anonymous said...

Wonder if the IRS will now go after her on her income tax reporting?

Anonymous said...

Attn 12:55 Bernie is being treated worse than most of the murdering thieves in Mississippi. His problem is that he hasn't got the money to get the legal representation he deserves. I know of several people who made and retained a lot of money because of the WorldCom fiasco. How long will he be there?

Innovate THIS said...

KF, go take a look at their TY2012 990. Some fun to be found on Page 34 forward.

Including the statement that the BOD Audit Committee has to sign off on the 990s before presenting them to the BOD for approval.

Innovate Mississippi just another GOP good old boy employment agency.

That old Tony Jeff has it made. While Innovate was being embezzled seemingly right under the CEO's nose the BOD rewarded Jeff with a 21.4% raise. TY2011 = $170,651, TY2012 = $207,237. Heath Hall still getting paid six figures ($129,000) too as a contractor even though he doesn't work there any longer.

Then take a look KF as the Who's Who of GOPers lobbying for Innoviate Mississippi. Arnie Hederman, Austin Barbour, Josh Gregory, Quinton Dickerson ... all the insiders. Heck, Hederman and Barbour have received $105,000 EACH since 2012.

You got it Mississippi. More GOP innovation as another Republican Party feeding orgy is discovered to have been gorging themselves at the public taxpayer trough.

Anonymous said...

Okay so the Innovate leadership doesn't really know how much money was embezzeled in the fist place. They are suing the audit firm and the former CFO to recover whatever they can. Is the State Auditor investigating possible restitution?

Anonymous said...

When Bernie was building World Com, he was portrayed as a brilliant, ruthless entrepreneur. When he got his ass in a crack, he was portrayed as a poor, simple country bumpkin: totally ignorant of the financial hocus pocus that his evil underlings were committing.

Kingfish said...

Haley actually tried to zero them out in his last budget but a million was put back in during conference. Frontier guys were the lobbyists at the time. Pruitt was getting a nice consulting fee as well for several years.

Anonymous said...

This organization was set up to rip off the State and help a few well connected business men make more money. It has been dirty was start.

Anonymous said...

Tony Jeff makes how much? To do a cut and paste job for the CL and manage 6 people?

Anonymous said...

Isn't the Board of this group - that gets a million or so every year - the same folks the are constantly bitching (and buying ads on JJ) about Kemper? Pot?? Kettle??

Just Can't Keep Up.... said...

Haley actually tried to zero them out in his last budget but a million was put back in during conference.

Kingfish: I'm sure your mental ability far exceeds mine. It's just that most of your posts, like that one, make no sense. I know you THINK on a plane several levels higher than the rest of us and your mind moves so quickly that your keystrokes can't keep up with it. But, hell, man, what the crap does that mean? (Please be gentle and don't attack me for not understanding your genius.)

Kingfish said...

Haley provided zero appropriation for the company in his last budget recommendation. The budgets passed through the two chambers. A million dollar appropriation was inserted while the two budget bills were in conference. The lobbyists at the time for the company were Josh Gregory and Quintin Dickerson. They were tied very tightly to then Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant. Haley wanted to fold it into MDA.

If I remember correctly, a minority of the company's revenue comes from the state.

I know, I probably goofed on the spelling of Mr. Dickerson's name. I can't tell one Quinten from another Quintin. They all look alike to me.

Anonymous said...

It may have been a minority of their funding then, but the state is propping them up now. If their board was not loaded with connected CEOs, this thing would have died long ago. Too bad those board members don't seem to be paying much attention to the finances.

Progressive's Spotted Here... said...

This isn't a state agency so what right have any of you got to bitch about how much money they had or moved around or still have? You all sound like Bernie Sanders in a pants-suit!

Anonymous said...

90+% of 2012 revenues came from government grants. That ain't no minority. 38% of expenses are salaries. That doesn't include the big green getting kicked to Heath Hall. Now that Austin Barbour and Hederman are enjoying the pickle juice it is clear that Haley's zeroing was a shakedown to change the beneficiaries of the lobbying largesse.

Kingfish said...

I said state money was a minority. My understanding is Hayes Dent is now the lobbyist.

Anonymous said...

How does someone named 'Tonya' become CFO of ANYTHING?

Anonymous said...

https://www.facebook.com/tonya.klauser?fref=ts

Anonymous said...

RIDGELAND, Miss., Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- /Continental Who's Who/ Tonya Klauser, CPA, CITP is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Professional among Chief Financial Officers. Tonya is the CFO for Innovate Mississippi, formerly known as Mississippi Technology Alliance.

In her current role, Tonya is responsible for Technology Based Economic Development; and providing Resources for Entrepreneurs, Manufacturers, Renewable Energy Companies, Investors, and Communities in the state of Mississippi.

Tonya also served as Assistant Vice-President and Senior Financial Analyst for Trustmark National Bank where she prepared the budget for the bank and its 19 branches. Tonya began her career at Deloitte & Touche, LLP as an auditor.

Tonya is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Technology Professional. She earned a Master of Professional Accountancy from Mississippi State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Computer Software from Delta State University.

Tonya is currently a member of the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She currently serves as a board member on the following boards: South Madison County Soccer Organization, Madison Station PTO and Madison Middle School PTO. She and her husband teach Sunday School at her church. Tonya is married to Billy Klauser and has two daughters, Caitlyn, 14 and Victoria, 10.

Anonymous said...

Hey, October 14, 2015 at 11:24 PM - someone named 'Carly' is running for president. And has accomplished more in her life than three of you could likely manage.

Hands In The Till said...

9:29; What is the purpose of posting the resume of a thief? Or are you preparing to testify at sentencing?

Anonymous said...

Do these wankers have anything to do with KIOR?

PittPanther said...

"Teaches Sunday school at her church..." That's just hilarious. Remember kids, Thou shalt not steal, unless it's convenient and you're sure you can get away with it.

Churchgoers never seen to have any issues with blatant hypocrisy. Maybe there's a lake of fire waiting for her.

Luke 3 said...

I'm channeling an image of Jimmy Swaggart bawling.

Anonymous said...

Quite the little 'joiner', isn't she?

Anonymous said...

I don't know about her ineptitude as a CFO but she was TERRIBLE as a commish for the SMCSO soccer league. She screwed up the schedule, rosters, uniforms, everything!

Anonymous said...

PittPanther - if you thought church was for perfect people, you've been misinformed...

Anonymous said...

Why do we need Innovate when we have the MDA? Oops, there's a Klauser there, too. LOL! All in the family.

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https://www.mississippi.org/home-page/about-mda/executive-team/billy-klauser/
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