Former Vanderburgh County Director of Finance Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Over $125,000 in Public Funds

EVANSVILLE- Regene Newman, 59, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 1.5 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Newman has already paid $101,133.55 in restitution to two victims, and settled privately with a third.

According to court documents, Regene Newman exploited positions of public trust over a period of more than seven years, stealing over $125,000 intended for community programs and nonprofit organizations. She used the funds to support a lavish lifestyle, making large purchases at retailers including Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Bath & Body Works, Bra Goddess, Hobby Lobby, Target, and Macy's.

From 2015 to June 2021, Newman served as Director of Finance for the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office, where she had authorized access to both an office credit card and a debit card for My Goals, a nonprofit operating under the Prosecutor's Office to assist at-risk youth.

Between March 2016 and March 2021, Newman made approximately $60,028.66 in unauthorized purchases with the My Goals debit card. To conceal the theft, she arranged for the Prosecutor's Office to make sham "donations" to the nonprofit by submitting false Accounts Payable Vouchers. These fake donations created the appearance that the funds would be used to support My Goals' mission of helping the community. During that time, Newman also made $26,381.04 in unauthorized purchases using the Prosecutor's Office credit card.

In June 2021, Newman left the Prosecutor's Office and became Business Director for Vanderburgh County Community Corrections. There, she gained access to a separate county credit card and later requested responsibility for managing the checking account of a local nonprofit that supports individuals battling addiction. Once granted access, she made an additional $10,725 in unauthorized credit card purchases and $23,929.46 in unauthorized debit card purchases.

"Regene Newman stole from public institutions and nonprofit organizations whose mission was to serve vulnerable members of the Vanderburgh County community. She deliberately exploited positions of public trust to fund a lifestyle of self-indulgence-stealing not only taxpayer dollars, but also resources earmarked for addiction treatment and youth intervention," said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "Today's sentence is a stark reminder that those who abuse positions of trust and steal from the public will be held accountable."

"This sentencing underscores an uncompromising truth: those who corrupt positions of trust and steal from the public will be brought to justice," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge, Timothy O'Malley. "For years, Regene Newman diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to serve at-risk youth in Vanderburgh County, instead funding a life of personal extravagance. This calculated abuse represents not only financial theft, but a profound betrayal of the very communities these resources were meant to uplift. The FBI will continue to pursue those who exploit the public trust and ensure they are met with the full weight of accountability."

"This outcome reflects the strength of interagency collaboration and the importance of vigilant oversight," said Paul Joyce, State Examiner. "The State Board of Accounts is proud to work alongside our federal partners to uncover fraud and restore integrity to public service. We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure that public funds serve the people- not the personal interests of those entrusted to manage them."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Board of Accounts investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.

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