SALINE CO.—Months of a grand jury investigation, seated in Saline County by Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office, ultimately lead to indictments being handed down on Monday, March 30, to directors of Harrisburg’s Anna Bixby Women’s Center.
The grand jury returned true bills of indictment against ABC executive director Barbara Wingo, 76, of Golconda, and her daughter, assistant director Terrie Eichorn, 50, of Elizabethtown, after months of investigating evidence that revealed alleged misappropriation of funds, both official (obtained through state resources for the not-for-profit agency) and charitable donations.
The extent of the alleged crimes cannot be understated: Wingo is charged with very serious Class X “Organizer of a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise,” the kind of crimes that mob bosses engage in and which end their “organized crime” careers when caught.
Add in the other felonies ranging from Classes 1 to 3, as well as those Eichorn is charged with (also Classes 1 to 3), and the entire mess has apparently devolved from what was a good idea in 1979 to an alleged hotbed of corruption and theft of tax and charity dollars, goods and services.
The questionable OP
Sources advised Disclosure in the latter part of 2013 that the women’s center was under scrutiny at the time due to a spurious situation involving a relative of an employee of Anna Bixby Women’s Center (henceforth referred to as ABC) and an order of protection.
The employee was Angie Oxford; her daughter-in-law, Brittany Oxford (also known as Brittany Martin), was also an employee of ABC.
However, Brittany had taken up with area criminal Richard Cooper in Harrisburg, and Cooper was allegedly beating not only Brittany, but the two young children of Brittany and Blake Oxford, ages approximate 3 and 7.
As it turned out, ABC allowed Brittany and her children use of one of the rental “safe houses” in the area where rent was paid by ABC for victims of domestic violence. This was apparently in violation of the way it was supposed to be run at ABC.
Further, Brittany allowed Cooper to come and stay in the rent-free “safe house”…and ABC also picked up the tab for Brittany’s attorney in her legal action (Rhonda Blades) when Angie Oxford’s son/Brittany’s husband, Blake, obtained an OP and got the kids away from the allegedly-brutalizing Cooper.
Angie Oxford was reportedly fired over the matter when Blake got the OP, for “misuse of information” (ostensibly about Brittany’s and Cooper’s whereabouts with the kids), although Angie Oxford in actuality hadn’t misused any information; the OP was legitimately obtained and children legally removed from a bad situation by their father without input from their grandmother by way of ABC.
But from that point forward, some official eyes were on ABC…and unfortunately for the agency, there were plenty of people ready to talk.
Investigation begins; picking at financials
The investigation began at that point, with various entities picking away at the financials as they could obtain information about them.
Disclosure learned about the seating of the grand jury in Saline County by the Attorney General’s office this past November, coming on the heels of the very quiet, formal announcement at ABC that they were under investigation, this on October 6, 2014.
On that date, investigators from Lisa Madigan’s office arrived at the suite of offices located on Shaw Street across from Harrisburg City Park with a 20-foot moving and storage van. They bore with them signed search warrants which sought records, specifically those that may have been falsified during ABC operations. These agents entered the offices and requested everyone step away from their desks, hand over their cell phones, and consent to the investigation. Most of the offices’ pertinent materials or operations were confiscated and loaded up, including all documents and computers, although no one was taken into custody.
Wingo and Eichorn weren’t present when the “raid” was taking place, but somehow, someone at ABC was able to get in touch with them and the two arrived later in the day.
Court paperwork on file notes in black and white what Disclosure was told last November and which was published in the December 2014 edition: “ABWC employees have also stated to investigators that after the Office of Attorney General executed its search warrants, (Barb Wingo) held a meeting with ABWC employees, made them sign confidentiality paperwork and threatened to prosecute anyone who spoke to investigators and stated that after she was indicted, she would know who spoke. Witnesses also stated that (Wingo) told the ABWC employees that ‘they all know [the falsification of records] did not happen;’ that (Wingo) further stated ‘they don’t know what would happen to them between now and court;’ with another witness stating that (Wingo) told her that ‘I don’t care if I’m 90 when I get out, I will get you.’”
Whether that will happen with the 76-year-old Wingo remains to be seen; but what is known at this point is that the AG’s office “got” her…on some substantial allegations.
More of the exterior view of the Anna Bixby Women’s Center in early April, about two weeks after the indictments were announced. The bicycle decorated in purple, Disclosure was told, was done so in support of those dedicated to preventing domestic violence, as purple is supposed to be that kind of signature “color” for the cause. The rest of the place looked to be in some sort of run-down disarray, perhaps refl ective of the amount of money NOT put forth toward maintenance, upkeep…and assistance for those they were charged with helping.
AG’s assessment
Court documents show that the AG’s office discovered alleged misappropriation of somewhat phenomenal proportions for the 36-year-old agency to have participated in over the last several years.
Unfortunately, because these are only state charges (as opposed to federal), the time period covered as regards the charges could only go back three years.
The Attorney General’s office summarized the situation in this way:
Wingo is the Executive Director of the non-profit domestic violence shelter Anna Bixby Women’s Center (ABWC). She created the ABWD nearly 30 years ago (this is the AG’s material, and thus the “30 years” remark is off by a little bit; the place was founded in 1979—ed.) and has always been its Executive Director. She also created the non-profit Bixby Foundation and an ABWC-affiliated for-profit I. Downey, Inc., that operated hair salons in Harrisburg. In a June 30, 2013 filing with the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG’s) Charitable Trust Bureau, the ABWC reported that it received $1,048,348.00 in grants from various State and Federal agencies.
In August 2014, the OAG received information that Wingo fired an ABWC employee at the end of July 2014 because the employee refused Wingo’s orders to falsify domestic violence client files that were to be submitted to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (“Authority”) via its “Infonet” server. The OAG also received information that Wingo was using ABWC charitable assets for her personal benefit.
Services for a horse
In October 2014, the OAG executed two search warrants of the ABWC, interviewed employees and issued Grand Jury subpoenas for the bank records of the ABWC, the Bixby Foundation and I. Downey, Inc. Interviews with ABWC employees revealed that Wingo asked ABWC employees to falsify client records that were ultimately submitted to the Authority.
Employees stated that Wingo ordered employees to falsify client files on other instances prior to July 2014.
The OAG identified an alleged falsified file created in November 2013 which stated that the ABWC provided counseling services to a client named “Rush Cowboy.” OAG investigators discovered that this was the name of a horse owned by Wingo’s daughter (Eichorn).
An ABWC employee stated that Wingo ordered her to create this file and another false file using the name “Brenda Owen” so that an ABWC employee could live in a federally-funded house that she was not eligible for.
As it turned out, “Brenda Owen,” Disclosure learned, was the cover name for Brittany Oxford.
Alleges fraudulent files, bedbugs
The document goes on to state:
The OAG was also able to identify actual domestic violence victims for which alleged falsified files were created in their file. Six domestic violence victims stated that forms in their file which stated that they or their children received counseling services were false.
One victim had service contact hours for counseling services for her child in April 2014.
This victim told OAG investigators that she sough emergency shelter from the ABWC in November 2013 and was placed in an apartment by the ABWC.
She stated that the apartment had bedbugs and when she notified Wingo about the bugs, Wingo did nothing so the victim left the apartment with her kids in January 2014 and never returned to the ABWC.
At right is Barbara Wingo’s mugshot taken at Saline County Detention Center Monday, March 30. Bond was posted in the amount of $50,000 cash for her release pending next hearing
The scurrilous hair places
An investigation into the operations of the ABWC, Bixby Foundation and I. Downey also revealed a loan application to Legence Bank in April 2014 whereby Wingo made representation to Legence Bank in order to obtain a $100,000.00 loan for a business named Salon 716 that is operated by I. Downey.
Paperwork for the loan stated that I. Downey received business profits from another salon that it previously operated named Hair Care and donated the money to the Bixby Foundation which, in turn, donated the money to the ABWC for the benefit of domestic violence victims.
A review of relevant bank accounts reveals that this is not true. Bank records reveal that from 2011 through 2014, the ABWC helped fund I. Downey and its salons as well as pay portions of its credit cards and other bills. No money was donated to the ABWC or Bixby Foundation from I. Downey or Hair Care throughout this period.
Wingo also did not disclose to Legence Bank that Hair Care was delinquent in its last eleven months of rent when applying for the loan. Based on the false information provided, Legence Bank approves a $100,000 loan to help fund Salon 716.
A review of ABWC credit cards, checking accounts and witness statements also reveal that Wingo had been using charitable assets for her personal benefit since at least 2012.
Wingo’s charges
After having met for an as-yet-unknown number of months, the Saline County Grand Jury, lead by Assistant Attorney General Jonas J. Harger (grand juries involve only a prosecutor and the jury, which is used as an investigative tool; there is no judge involved, and witnesses are brought in to testify under oath to the jury) returned the following true bills of indictment (charges) against Wingo:
Forgery, a Class 3 felony, wherein it’s alleged that with intent to defraud, she made a false document or altered a document to make it false on or about November 12, 2013. This document pertained to Brittany Oxford, an employee of ABC, who received permission from Wingo to live in a federally-funded house for which she didn’t qualify. Wingo, the charge alleged, used her position of authority to order an ABC employee to create a file for a fictitious client names “Brenda Owen” so that Oxford could live in the federally funded house and the file was apparently capable of defrauding another.
A second count of Class 3 felony Forgery, in that Wingo as executive director of ABC, on or about July 20, 2014 and continuing through on or about August 15, 2014, used her position of authority to order ABC employees to create false service contact hours in ABC’s files and those forms were apparently capable of defrauding the State of Illinois.
A third count of Class 3 felony Forgery, in that on or about the same time period, Wingo used her position of authority to order ABC employees to make false service contact forms and those forms were apparently capable of defrauding the State of Illinois, and then ordered those false documents to be issued or delivered to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority via its “Infonet” server.
A Class 3 felony Wire Fraud count covering the same July 20-Aug. 15, 2014, time period, wherein Wingo devised a scheme or artifice to obtain money or property by means of false pretenses, representations, or promises to wit: by creating the false service contact forms, ordering an ABC employee to submit them to Info net, she caused at least one of the many listed forms to be transmitted by means of wire communication within Saline County (each form is listed in documentation only by client ID numbers).
Alleged defrauding a bank
Count 5 is a Class 2 felony count of Loan Fraud, in which it’s alleged that Wingo, as ED of ABC and partner of or controlling I. Downey, Inc., in April of 2014, applied for a $100,000 loan from Legence Bank to fund the operation of a salon owned by I. Downey, Salon 716. But in the loan application process, Wingo submitted a “Flow Chart of Financial Support to Anna Bixby Women’s Center,” claiming it was “submitted by Wingo and the Bixby Board.” This “flow chart” stated that I. Downey, doing business as Hair Care, “received business profits that were donated to the Bixby Foundation, which were then donated to the ABC”…which statements were false. Nevertheless, Legence relied on these false statements and reports for consideration of the loan.
This lead to count 6, a Class 2 felony Financial Institution Fraud, wherein it was alleged that on or about March 1, 2014, and continuing through on or about April 30, 2014, Wingo, doing business as Salon 716 through the I. Downey corporation, seeking a loan to fund its operations, submitted the above-mentioned flow chart in order to defraud Legence. Legence relied on the false statements when determining to grant the $100,000 loan to I. Downey, Inc.
A second count of Class 2 felony Financial Institution Fraud alleges the same time period and the verbiage is only slightly different in that it states that Wingo submitted the flow chart knowing that it made false representations.
Count 8 delves into the very serious nature of the felonies, as it’s a Class 1 Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise, in which it’s alleged that on or about March 1, 2014 and continuing through November 30, 2014, Wingo, as ED of the ABC, submitted the false statement (flow chart), Legence relied on it and gave her the loan, and pursuant to that loan, her business, I. Downey Inc., “exerted unauthorized control over the money” between April 2014 and November 30, 2014.
The ninth count, the Class X felony Organizer of a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise, alleges that on or about March 1, 2014 and continuing through Nov. 30, 2014, Wingo, on three or more separate occasions within an 18-month period, agreed with Amanda Pritchett, a person over which Wingo held a position of supervisor or other management, to create the “flow chart,” knowing the contents of it contained false statements. Then, via I. Downey, Wingo exerted unauthorized control over that loan money obtained via the false statements in the flow chart.
Finally, on the tenth count, another Class 2 felony is issued: Personal Use of Charitable Assets, in which it’s alleged that on or about August 21, 2012, Wingo used ABC’s credit cards and/or checks to purchase computers at Walmart, the value of which exceeded $1,000, for her own personal benefit or use. This is disallowed under Illinois law, which states that the “personal use” of such charitable trust funds must be limited to $1,000 within a 5-year period.
Wingo was arrested and booked at the Saline County Detention Center in Harrisburg on Monday, March 30, the day the grand jury returned their indictments.
Diane Taborn, an employee of ABC, posted $50,000 cash bond on the $500,000 bail.
There’s been no word of whether or not investigators are looking into where that fifty grand came from.
Service contact files for the horse
Wingo’s daughter, Terrie Eichorn, who has a substantial and very public drinking problem (which, it’s been stated by those who know her, might account for some of the alleged abuses of funds that both she and her mother engaged in), is charged with her own set of counts based on largely the same material information issued against Wingo.
The AG’s office outlined the same background for the basis of the charges against Eichorn as they did Wingo; where the paperwork diverged is where the horse “Rush Cowboy” came in, as that horse, of course, belonged to Eichorn.
“Service contact files were reported to the Authority in 2013 stating that the horse received counseling services from the ABWC,” the AG’s office wrote.
The documents mention the Salon 716 alleged fraud, wherein the representations to Legence Bank in order to obtain the loan were made.
“No money was donated to the ABWC or Bixby Foundation from I. Downey or Hair Care throughout this period,” the paperwork states. “Eichorn also did not disclose to Legence Bank that Hair Care was delinquent in its last eleven months of rent when applying for the loan. A witness stated that Eichorn ordered her not to disclose the fact that Hair Care did not pay its rent to Legence Bank. Based on the false information provided, Legence Bank approved a $100,000 loan to help fund Salon 716.
“A witness also stated that Eichorn ordered the witness to call Legence Bank several times to request a ‘draw down’ on the loan.”
It’s unclear from available paperwork whether the draw down was a transfer of funds regarding the loan, or a withdrawal from the loan fund in the form of cash or check.
Involved her errant kid
The court documents then bring in the allegations regarding the charitable funds…as well as the involvement of Eichorn’s only son, Kyle Wayne, whom regular readers will recall nearly killed himself last November following a serious car crash; it’s been alleged that he had every form of illicit substance in his then-18-year-old system.
A review of ABWC credit cards, checking accounts and witness statements also reveal that Eichorn had been using charitable assets for her personal benefit since at least 2012, court records read.
“Witnesses stated that each year the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children donated approximately $3,000 each Christmas season for the benefit of abused children. Several witnesses have stated that Eichorn siphoned some of this money for her personal benefit.
“Witnesses have stated that when Eichorn misappropriated this money, she would order ABWC employees to submit their personal receipts in order to fraudulently account for the missing money,” the paperwork indicates by way of explanation. “A review of receipts submitted to the Poshard Foundations to account for the donated money reveals receipts for items not related to gifts for children at Christmas. For example, a receipt was submitted that detailed the purchase of a spotlight, trailer hitch and wiring kit. Witnesses have stated that Eichorn purchased these items for her son.”
As if to add to the outrage of the entire debacle, on the day the indictments were handed down, Eichorn, her husband Wayne, their son Kyle and his female du jour, Madison Hirsch (victim of a beatdown last year provided by Alyce Williams at Hardin County High School), were on a deep sea fishing trip in Florida.
She was served with the indictments upon return, however, and posted bond on April 6.
Court files indicate that the bond was $50,000, just like her mother’s was.
Eichorn charges
Eichorn’s first count is a Class 3 felony Forgery, in which it’s alleged that she, as Assistant Director at ABC, used her position of authority on or about July 20, 2014 and continuing through on or about August 15, 2014, to create false service contact hours in clients’ files, which were apparently capable of defrauding the state.
Count 2 is another Class 3 felony Forgery, alleging the same as Count 1, but adding that Eichorn then ordered the false documents to be issued or delivered to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority via its “Infonet” server.
Count 3 is a Class 3 felony Wire Fraud, which alleges the same as Wingo’s, including the same dates and the same allegedly fraudulent services contact form with fake information on each, transmitted by means of wire communication.
The fourth count is a Class 2 felony Loan Fraud, as it pertains to the same loan fraud that’s alleged against Wingo with the falsified “flow chart” of financial support ot ANC coming from I. Downey doing business as Hair Care. A second count of Class 2 felony Loan Fraud, alleging the same as Wingo’s, is Count 5.
Financial Institution Fraud is the sixth count, as alleged to have occurred on or about March 1 through on or about April 30, 2014, as it pertains the flow chart and false reports to obtain a loan from Legence. A second count of Financial Institution Fraud is count 7; it too is a Class 2 felony.
Eichorn, like Wingo, is also charged with count 8, a Class 1 felony Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise pertaining to the loan from Legence as well as operating and exerting unauthorized control over that money on more than two occasions between April and November 2014.
Eichorn’s charge of Personal Use of Charitable Assets, count 9, a Class 2 felony, is similar to Wingo’s but specifies that Eichorn is alleged to have used ABC’s credit cards and checks to purchase computers, a 32 inch LCD television with a Nintendo Wii, and other items for her personal benefit or personal use. It also alleges that in Decmeber 2013, Eichorn had access to money donated to the ABC by the Glen Poshard Foundation for the benefit of abused children during Christmas, and that she used portions of that for her personal benefit or use.
Pritchett
Both Wingo and Eichorn were set for an April 27 first appearance.
Pritchett, as mentioned under Wingo’s indictments, was also charged as part of the grand jury investigation.
An indictment returned on the same day as Wingo’s and Eichorn’s shows a count of Theft in excess of $10,000 but less than $100,000, having been conducted between May 24, 2013 and September 15, 2014.
During that period of time, the grand jury found, Wingo had reported to Harrisburg Police that Pritchett was receiving unauthorized extra payroll checks. While there had not been any “discussions regarding extra or bonus payments to any ABC employees…and the board did not authorize the extra payments to Pritchett,” who was the bookkeeper for ABC, sources indicate that each of the checks had two signatures, as required for issuance to ABC employees.
Because of this, and because Wingo had A—already involved Pritchett in the alleged falsification of records, and B—already was aware that there was an investigation of some sort going on with her agency, it remains unclear whether the $33,191.33-plus in checks that Pritchett cashed were legit or not…and if they were legit, how Pritchett come to be charged with such a serious felony in light of the entire investigation.
Whatever the case, by the date of the indictment, she had already made full restitution, and was placed on the Offender Initiative Program/Intensive Probation for 12 months under a plea agreement.
It’s unclear whether this agreement means telling investigators what she knows about Wingo’s and Eichorn’s activities within the agency.
Who else might be involved…and who else might have been helped…?
However, so many people have known for so long that something spurious has been going on with ABC, it’s kind of a given that it’d be hard to tell who is or isn’t talking.
It was open knowledge that Wayne Eichorn, who is already on the taxpayer teat with a job through Hardin County’s Highway Department and is a former county commissioner in Hardin, was using an ABC van as a personal vehicle—and probably writing off the gas put into it—until October 6, 2014, when he was told to park it at the center, where it still sits.
Sources have advised that little Kyle Eichorn’s popularity among the very young crowd in Hardin, Pope and Saline counties, is fully explicable: He’s allowed to party at San Damiano resort, which happens to be one of the “safe house” locations for ABC to put up abused women and children. Sam Damiano simply issues an invoice to ABC, sources said, and ABC cuts them a check. That they’re doing this for the younger Eichorn’s festivities is a very good likelihood, the sources advised, and it’s possible that he could be the next to be investigated. Other Eichorn/Wingo relatives are also being eyed, according to the source providing information for this article.
Despite the very serious charges, Wingo and Eichorn continue on with their lives as though nothing has happened; and others around them seem oblivious to it as well, much the same as the populace rallied around Kyle when he had his DUI accident in Saline in late November, willing to overlook the criminality of it all.
However, criminality among those who are entrusted with tax dollars as well as charitable donations should never just be blown off; in so doing, the populace emboldens the next entity or individual who does the same, thus running up the tax burden for everyone. And when it comes to an agency that’s supposed to be supporting the most vulnerable of society—abused women and children—those who are willing to give the corrupt a pass must ask themselves how many more women and children could have been helped with the amounts of money used in a fraudulent or corrupt way…and how many weren’t because of that corruption.