Debra Lewis, an 18-year employee of the Mich. Nurses Assn. until her recent firing, as admitted to embezzling at least $418,000 from the union. She has not been charged, but is cooperating with an investigation by the Meridian Township Police Dept.
Although Lewis, as the state union’s office mgr., has always been responsible for paying the union’s bills, her apparent theft was only discovered at the end of February, when auditors began looking for some missing cancelled checks. According to the Union’s 2001 LM-2 disclosure form filed with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, an audit failed to uncover the missing funds. “It’s shocking,” said union spokeswoman Carol Feuss. “We are trying to figure out how it happened and how we can prevent it from happening again.” Lewis made $47,474 in 2001.
Lewis’s attny. has contacted the Ingham County prosecutor’s ofc. According to the attorney, Lewis is remorseful, and is aware that she faces a decade in prison and could be required to fully repay the stolen funds. [Lansing State Journal 3/11/03, WILX-TV 3/12/03]