Latest Embezzlement News
President Macron names centrist ally Bayrou as France's next prime minister
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister in an effort to address the country's deep political crisis, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in...
High-stakes trial that could derail presidential ambitions of France's Marine Le Pen wraps up
PARIS (AP) — Marine Le Pen’s trial is ending with one key question: will France’s leading far-right figure be able to run in the next presidential race? Her lawyer spoke Wednesday for the last time at the trial in Paris on charges of embezzling European Parliament funds. ...
Malaysian court drops one of the graft cases against jailed former premier Najib Razak
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian court on Wednesday dropped charges against jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak over criminal breach of trust linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of a state fund. Najib had already been convicted in his first graft case tied to...
County official in Arizona pleads guilty to embezzling over $38M in public funds
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — An elected official for an Arizona county has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $38 million in public funds that she used to renovate her luxurious Southwestern ranch home, maintain the family cattle business and buy at least 20 vehicles, including an Airstream camper...
South Korean court finds former lawmaker guilty of misusing funds meant for sexual slavery victims
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday handed a suspended prison sentence to a former lawmaker who was found guilty of embezzling funds while leading a group supporting Korean survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery. Yoon Meehyang, who was also...
Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An insurance magnate who was once a big political donor in North Carolina is in federal custody after pleading guilty in connection to what prosecutors call a $2 billion scheme to defraud insurance regulators, policyholders and others through a myriad of companies from...
French prosecutors seek a 2-year prison sentence and ineligibility period against Marine Le Pen
PARIS (AP) — Paris prosecutors on Wednesday requested a 2-year prison sentence for far-right leader Marine Le Pen and an additional 5-year period of ineligibility to run for office, in a trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds where her ability to participate in the...
Jailed former Malaysian leader apologizes for fund embezzlement scandal, reiterates his innocence
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Imprisoned former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak issued a rare apology Thursday over the looting of a state investment fund worth billions of dollars "under my watch" while reiterating his innocence. Najib set up the 1Malaysia Development Berhad...
An Alabama city's ex-finance director pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $1M
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The former finance director for a city in a suburb of the central Alabama city of Birmingham has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $1 million. Robert Winston Burgett entered the plea Wednesday to three counts of wire fraud in federal court in Birmingham,...
Hartford city council member is charged with embezzling from a church
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A member of the city council in Connecticut's capital has been charged with embezzling from a church where he worked. Alexander Thomas, 27, surrendered Tuesday to Hartford police, who were first informed by the church in June of thefts from April 2023 to...