JANUARY 2023:
A federal judge has handed down the penalty for a Tabor man convicted of Wire Fraud.
Steven Joseph Bares, age 53, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $287,457.37 in restitution and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, Bares willfully and unlawfully devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property from two parishes by false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Saint Wenceslaus Parish in Tabor and Saint John the Baptist Parish in Lesterville are two small Catholic parishes located in rural South Dakota towns. The churches shared a single priest. The only administrative staff at the churches was Bares, who primarily worked as the bookkeeper. In that capacity, Bares wrote checks to pay bills and entered checks in the general ledgers.
In May of 2021, the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese, on behalf of the above-named parishes, hired an accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit. The audit uncovered multiple checks made out to companies belonging to Bares that did not correspond to any service or equipment purchased from those companies. Furthermore, these checks were neither entered in the general ledger nor entered as a legitimate expense.
Between January of 2013 and March of 2020, Bares embezzled money from the two parishes, totaling $324,001.37. The investigation confirmed that the checks identified in the audit report were deposited into accounts held by Bares.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Bares was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on February 13, 2023.
SEPTEMBER 2022:
A 53 year old man from Tabor has pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge.
Court information says Steven Joseph Bares willfully and unlawfully devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and obtain money and property from two parishes by false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
Saint Wenceslaus Parish in Tabor, South Dakota, and Saint John the Baptist Parish in Lesterville, South Dakota, are two small Catholic parishes that shared a single priest. The only administrative staff at the churches was Bares, who primarily worked as the bookkeeper. In that capacity, Bares wrote checks to pay bills and entered checks in the general ledges.
In May 2021, the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese, on behalf of the above-named parishes, hired an accounting firm to conduct a forensic audit. The audit uncovered multiple checks made out to companies belonging to Bares that did not correspond to any service or equipment purchased from those companies. Furthermore, these checks were neither entered in the general ledger nor entered as a legitimate expense.
Between January 2013 and March 2020, Bares embezzled money from two Parishes, totaling $324,001.37. The investigation confirmed that the checks identified in the audit report were deposited into accounts held by Bares.
The maximum penalty is 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine; three years of supervised release, a violation of any condition of release could result in two years of additional custody on any such revocation; $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund; and restitution.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for December 12, 2022. The defendant was released on bond pending sentencing.
Comments