Support for Du Quoin Food Pantry Intact as Former Director Pleads Guilty to Theft
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A former director of the Du Quoin Food Pantry pleaded guilty to theft in Perry County Circuit Court on Thursday as unconditional community support for the program itself continues.
Michael E. Swayne, 66, who was removed as director of the program in April 2010 after board members found evidence of embezzlement and fraud, was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $25,000 and was placed on probation for 24 months.
Board members tell the newspaper a year-long assessment of the program's loss points to suspected thefts beyond the $25,000, but the court can only fall back on those losses which can be proved.
Attorney Kurt Harris, whose Harris Family Christian Foundation, is a major contributor to the community food bank, told the Du Quoin Evening Call Thursday the foundation's monthly contributions will continue and with this issue behind the food pantry's volunteer board, the foundation will make an additional block contribution to the program in the coming weeks.
Harris has given his time to the food pantry board to put safeguards in place as a restorative measure with respect to the public's trust.
All agree the best thing the board could have done--and did do--was put Bob Cook in charge of overseeing the food pantry after Swayne's exodus. It is a life support system for over 200 Du Quoin-area families a month. Cook was recruited to assume the new responsibility because of his integrity and sense of community.
Swayne was ordered by the honorable Judge James Campanella to place a cashier's check into the hands of the food pantry board in the amount of $10,000 immediately and to pay the remaining $15,000 balance in $650/month installments until the $25,000 demand from the court is fulfilled.
Swayne was also ordered to pay probation service costs of $25 per month ($600 over two years) and to report to the Perry County Sheriff's Department immediately for processing and fingerprinting.
Conditions of probation include: commit no other offenses, report to the probation officer, report any changes of address or employment, cannot possess a firearm, cannot leave the state without permission from his probation officer or court, cannot change permanent place of residency outside Perry County and must pay $125 in court costs.
Board members say the thefts were discovered over a year ago and Swayne left the program shortly after that.
Indications are that the board's trust became misplaced, to the point that checks that required two signatures were signed in multiples ahead of time so that Swayne could use them when he needed them.
A board member said that what began as smaller suspected thefts evolved into Swayne keeping two sets of books on the program's finances.
During Swayne's tenure the newspaper was asked several times to take photos of check presentations to the food pantry. Some corporate donations were substantial.
Du Quoin attorney Mark Maclin represented Swayne and was very considerate of how important the program is to Du. Quoin.
The Du Quoin Food Pantry dates back to the 1980s when it became obvious there was a need. Mine and industrial closures resulted in hundreds of families without work. The program was shouldered by the Du Quoin Ministerial Alliance and director Martha Emerick, who worked tirelessly to sustain the program through not only difficult times, but often penniless times.
The program will not only benefit from the $25,000 in restitution, but a $10,000 insurance payment as well, which will give the program back its historic place in the community and its viability in the future.
At the end of the day, any dilution of its mission is not an option.