A Kansas City, Missouri, police officer, Aaron Wayne McKie, 46, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of defrauding an anti-crime charity of over $300,000, according to court documents unsealed on Friday. McKie, a 24-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department, allegedly used the funds for personal expenses.
The indictment, returned under seal on Tuesday, April 23, was made public upon McKie’s arrest and initial court appearance. The officer is facing 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.
McKie had been serving as the president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization aimed at providing training to individuals in the rental housing industry and promoting anti-crime programs, since 2009. He had also been an officer of the charity for three years prior.
The indictment alleges that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. During this period, individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. Of this, McKie is accused of spending at least $320,060 for his personal purposes.
The primary source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” The indictment alleges that McKie used the MACF bank account as his personal account, spending most of the money donated for charitable purposes on travel, entertainment, restaurants, bars, retail, luxury items, transfers to personal accounts, cash, pre-2016 expenses, household expenses, and personal tax payments.
The Kansas City Police Department, in a statement released after the indictment was announced, said, "In September of 2023, our department learned of potential fraud on the part of one of our officers and immediately began an investigation." The officer was placed on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.
The charges contained in the indictment are accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
More for you:
