By SYDNEY KENT
A former Clean Fuels National employee has entered a not guilty plea after allegedly embezzling over $16,000 on a company credit card.
Dakota Patrick Thompson, 29, Sweetser, was charged with corrupt business influence, a Level 5 felony, and four counts of theft where value of property is between $750 and $50,000. Thompson entered a plea of not guilty at his initial hearing on Friday.
An initial report of the activity was made to the Wells County Sheriff’s Office in February. A representative from Clean Fuels National, a storage tank fuel cleaning company in Keystone, reported that Thompson had made unauthorized purchases on the company credit card in the amount of $16,936.85.
The owner of Clean Fuels National is Michael Vanover, who is also a Wells County commissioner. The case was forwarded to the Indiana State Police for investigation as a result.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Thompson told his supervisors that his girlfriend was responsible for the charges. He then made an agreement to pay back the stolen money to the company, but reportedly failed to continue communication or make payments.
Bond was set at $30,000. As of Tuesday, Thompson has not bonded out of jail. A pretrial conference for this case is set for 9 a.m. on Sept. 6 in the Wells Circuit Court.
sydney@news-banner.com
