Marvin Akers pleads guilty for theft from Legion post

RGR 4-78 sends us a link to the story of Marvin Akers, a former post commander of the American Legion’s Riddle-Hutcheson Post 77 in Bentonville, Arkansas where he fleeced fellow legionnaires of more than a hundred grand;

Akers, 53, of Rogers and Kim Emerson, 62, of Farmington were arrested April 15, 2015, in connection with stealing from the $176,850 the post received after giving up its longtime lease for a downtown building in 2009.

Akers was the commander of the American Legion’s Riddle-Hutcheson Post 77 and Emerson was treasurer in 2009, according to court documents.

Bentonville police were alerted of the financial irregularities March 10, 2015. A check for $90,000 from the post’s account was made out to “cash” Sept. 24, 2009. Emerson and Akers signed the check, documents say.

In police interviews, the men said they divided the check for their work in the sale of the building and for saving the organization from having to pay a lawyer. Akers received $50,000 and Emerson received $40,000, according to the affidavit.

The men told police a letter from the national organization gave them permission for the split. But the organization’s national adjutant told police no one in the American Legion would have authorized members to be paid as described by Emerson and Akers.

According to the affidavit, Akers received $55,446, including $50,000 from the check the two divided. Emerson wrote several checks to “cash” totaling $65,400, including the $40,000 he received from the check they divided.

Police also found ATM withdrawals to the post’s accounts at the local Indian casino. Emerson pleaded guilty earlier this year and got ten years probation at sentencing. Big damn deal. Vets ripping off vets deserves some jail time.

Category: Crime