SAGINAW, MI — The former director of Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Center has been charged with embezzling from the agency she once ran, nearly three years after she resigned amid controversy.
Lisa E. Stoffel, 48, on Wednesday, June 2, appeared before Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank for arraignment on one count of embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Stoffel served as the head of the county’s Animal Control from June 2016 until July 23, 2018. Stoffel resigned from the position after news reports revealed she had not earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1997 as she had claimed when applying for the job.
Before resigning, Stoffel told media outlets she had graduated from a college in Texas, blaming her mix-up on post-traumatic stress disorder, something she said she was diagnosed with in 2008 after an incident of domestic violence.
Saginaw County Controller Robert V. Belleman said in 2018 that he was unable to find evidence Stoffel had earned a bachelor’s degree from any university. ABC12 reported in 2018 that Stoffel had previously been charged with embezzlement while working at a correctional center in Alaska, though the charge was dismissed when Stoffel pleaded no contest to perjury in a domestic violence matter.
The Michigan State Police began investigating Stoffel in the months after she resigned. Prosecutors are alleging Stoffel stole funds from the agency between Feb. 25, 2018, until her date of resignation. They are not disclosing the total amount they believe Stoffel stole.
“This case was delayed by a unique set of challenges that, thankfully, did not ultimately prevent us from charging Lisa Stoffel with embezzlement,” the Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office said in a written statement. “Among those challenges were investigators sifting through voluminous records from uncooperative out-of-state banks while also learning Saginaw County’s accounting policies and procedures as well as those of Saginaw County Animal Care and Control and Care. This case was issued well within the statute of limitations provided by law.”
Stoffel appeared at her arraignment with Bay City defense attorney C. Michael Gorte, who told the judge he has been involved in the case since December 2018. Gorte said he has had numerous exchanges of information with police investigators.
“Certainly, we’ve not held anything back,” Gorte said. “We’ve been fully compliant with all prosecution requests, all banking accounts, and all information pertaining to the events of the Fur Ball, which is the subject matter of their complaint.”
The Fur Ball referred to by Gorte was a fundraiser for the animal shelter held in May 2018. He did not elaborate and MLive has been unable to contact Gorte.
At the arraignment, Gorte went on to say Stoffel currently lives in Breckenridge and runs an animal rescue farm for disabled children.
Judge Frank gave Stoffel a $20,000 personal recognizance bond. Stoffel is due to appear for a pre-examination conference at 10:15 a.m. on June 10.
Read more:
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