Finding for Recovery of $53,499.17, Partially Repaid Under Audit, Issued Against Hardin County Man Convicted in Public Loan Scheme

Press Release •Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS - A finding for recovery of $53,499.17 was issued Thursday against a Hardin County man who was convicted of using falsified invoices to secure a publicly funded loan.

Christopher Kitchen made payments totaling $6,888 against that total since 2025, leaving an outstanding balance of $46,611.17 owed to the Hardin County Revolving Loan Fund.

The finding was included in an audit of the county's finances from Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024. The full report is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

Kitchen applied for and received a $200,000 loan for his business, Kitchen's Supermarket LLC, through the county's revolving loan fund using falsified documentation. The loan was partially disbursed to Kitchen, including multiple direct payments totaling $53,499.17.

Kitchen pleaded guilty in Hardin County Common Pleas Court in April 2025 to felony counts of theft, grand theft, money laundering, and tampering with records.

He was sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the county.

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The Auditor of State's Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.