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Date: 09-16-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 2:21-cr-20452-BAF-APP
Judge: Bernard A. Friedman
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney: Best * Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory
Description: Detroit, MI: Criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with wire fraud, embezzlement and stealing funds from a charitable organization.
In March 2012, John R. Lynch, age 56, became the CFO of the Holy Cross organization, and in January 2015 he became its CEO. Holy Cross was established in 1948 when Boysville of Michigan was incorporated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Boysville of Michigan later became Holy Cross Children’s Services, which is now known as Holy Cross Services. The Holy Cross organization provides welfare services to disadvantaged children and adolescents, behavioral health services to adolescents and adults, and a number of support services to the homeless. Holy Cross services are provided mostly to individuals in Southeast and Mid-Michigan. The Holy Cross organization also includes the Samaritan Center, a large community resource center that provides healthcare, employment services, and other forms of support to residents of Detroit’s east side.
During today’s plea hearing, Lynch admitted that when he was Holy Cross’s CEO, he used Holy Cross funds to pay for repairs to his own cars, install a new roof on his house, pay down his personal mortgage balance, and make payments on a personal American Express account. Lynch also used Holy Cross funds to pay his own consulting company and to pay another company hired to provide security services at the Samaritan Center, a company ostensibly controlled by a relative but actually controlled by him. Lynch attempted to justify some of these payments with bogus invoices. In addition, Lynch used his corporate Holy Cross American Express card to pay for goods and services of a personal nature.
A sentencing date has been set for January 18, 2022 at 1:30 pm..
Holy Cross received federal funds under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. It also received federal funds under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, which pays for foster care and provides adoption assistance and guardianship assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hiyama. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Outcome: Defendant pleaded guilty.
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Defendant's Experts:
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