By Bruce Karnick

[email protected]

According to information obtained from the US Attorney’s office in St. Paul, Maryann Helen Stoffel, 70, of Hastings, was charged on February 19th, 2021 in US District Court on one count of wire fraud for allegedly misappropriating more than $650,000 of township funds over the course of nearly eight years, December 2012 to October 2020. During her time as city clerk, an elected position, Stoffel had signature authority over the townships bank account. One of the requirements of the township bank accounts is two signatures to process payments. Stoffel allegedly worked around that by forgery and deceit.

Here is the official statement from the US Attorney’s office: United States Attorney Erica H. Mac-Donald today announced a felony information charging MARYANN HELEN Stoffel , 70, of Hastings, Minn., with one count of wire fraud. STOFFEL will make her initial appearance before a Judge in U.S. District Court at a later date.

According to the allegations in the information, from December 2012 through October 2020, Stoffel used her position as the Clerk of the Township of Vermillion, an elected position, to misappropriate more than $650,000 of Township funds. Although, in her role as Clerk, Stoffel had signature authority over the Township’s bank account, Township checks required at least two signatures. As part of the fraud scheme, Stoffel , at times, forged the signatures of the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on Township checks. At other times, Stoffel solicited signatures from the Township’s Treasurer and the Chairman of the Township Board on blank Township checks by falsely representing that she would use the checks to pay the Township’s bills. Instead of using the funds to pay the Township’s bills, Stoffel transferred the funds to her personal bank account for her own use and benefit. Stoffel concealed her fraud from the Township and from the State of Minnesota by excluding the unauthorized payments to herself on the See Wire Fraud Page 2 Wire Fraud

From Page 1 Township’s annual report.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen is prosecuting the case.

The charges contained in the information are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendant Information: Maryann Helen Stoffel, 70. Hastings, Minn.

Charges: Wire fraud, 1 count