By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A St. Joseph police officer and his wife are accused of defrauding the local Fraternal Order of Police out of $99,000.
A federal grand jury in Kansas City indicted 46-year-old Michael Hardin and his wife, 42-year-old Sarah Hardin, both FOP officers.
The grand jury accuses the Hardins of using debit cards from the local lodge to purchase personal items.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Missouri states in a news release that Hardin served as president of the Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Missouri Lodge #3 for approximately 10 years. Sarah Hardin, formerly a deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, was the treasurer of the lodge for approximately 10 years.
The grand jury accuses the two of using debit cards linked to FOP bank accounts to make $99,000 in personal purchases over a four-year period from December 2015 to December 2019.
According to the indictment, Sarah Hardin allegedly used two debit cards to make purchases at Walmart, Menards, Party City, HyVee, and other businesses. It alleges Michael Hardin used one debit card to make purchases from various merchants, including Hampton Inn, for personal items and expenses.
The indictment claims the Hardins did not disclose the purchases to members of the lodge nor did they seek approval to spend the money.
Sarah Hardin is charged with four counts of wire fraud and Michael Hardin is charged with three counts of wire fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will present the accusations to a federal trial jury which will determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the FBI.
The St. Joseph Police Department said in a written statement that Hardin’s police powers have been suspended since the beginning of the investigation and he was placed in another city department. His standing with the department will be determined by the outcome of the indictment, according to the police department statement.
The local FOP lodge headquartered in St. Joseph serves approximately 300 law enforcement officers from police departments in nine northwest Missouri counties.