Former nonprofit IT director pleads guilty to wire fraud after stealing $550K from employer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The former IT director of an Indianapolis nonprofit was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to wire fraud related to stealing from his employer.

Michael Meenan, 60, will serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release.

Federal prosecutors said in a release Tuesday that Meenan worked as the director of information services for an Indianapolis nonprofit from 1999 to 2021. As director, Meenan frequently purchased tech and equipment for the nonprofit using a company credit card.

Starting in 2007, Meenan started using the card for personal expenses, including but not limited to: DSLR cameras, camera lenses, Apple and Southwest Airlines gift cards, cycling gear, and Amazon gift card balance reloads.

The reloaded balances would go toward more photography and cycling items for personal use, according to prosecutors.

Meenan also reportedly posted pictures of the things he bought on social media.

To hide the transactions, prosecutors say Meenan “doctored receipts that falsely described the personal items as legitimate technology purchases.”

“For example, he altered a receipt to indicate he had bought $1,100 worth of ‘Uninterruptible Power Supply Units (UPS)’ for the organization, when in reality he had simply reloaded an Amazon gift card with that amount,” the release explained.

In total, Meenan made 1,173 unauthorized transactions, “resulting in a financial loss of $543,521.13” to the nonprofit.

Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, says Meenan betrayed his colleagues through his actions.

"Nonprofits are especially vulnerable to fraud because they often lack the resources to prevent or recover from financial losses. The defendant, a trusted employee for more than 20 years, stole money meant to support the organization's mission and betrayed colleagues who had relied on him for decades," Wheeler said.

As part of his sentencing, Meenan will also have to pay in restitution the full amount he stole – $543,521.