Thursday, May 10, 2007

Man Accused Of Stealing AIDS Funds May Avoid Jail

The man in charge of the AIDS Task Force of Southeast Central Indiana was charged by the Wayne County prosecutor with 10 felony counts of theft in January, 2006, but under a plea agreement the prosecutor plans to drop most of the charges and reduce the remaining theft counts to mere conversion. Insted of jail time, William Selkirk is likely to do 120 days of home detention and serve 3 years of probation. He would also be required to repay $11,050 to the Hope Fund. Here were the facts contained in the original charge as outlined by the Palladium-Item:

  • Wrote an $8,000 check out of AIDS Task Force funds to a local businessman to cover the payroll of the man's private business. Neither the businessman nor task force officials have any record the money was paid back.
  • Hired a New Castle woman he had met in an online chat room and instructed her to do the task force's 2002 state audit even though the woman was not a public accountant or a certified public accountant. He paid the woman $3,150 to do the audit and eventually paid her $8,700 for consulting and fundraising services. The Indiana State Board of Accounts eventually rejected the audit because an accountant did not do it.
  • Made dozens of unauthorized purchases using task force cash and credit cards, buying meals at restaurants like O'Charley's, Red Lobster, Carver's and Jag's, spending $346 for tickets to a performance by The Three Tenors in Chicago, buying alcohol, motorcycle parts, hotel stays and gift cards at local stores.
  • Paid himself $12,000 from a Wayne County Foundation Impact grant to Hope House for a full year of bookkeeping services that were never performed.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Flashback. AIDServe. Fancy trips, fancy hotels, personal expenses shoved through as business expenses...deja vu...painful deja vu at that.

As in the case here in Indy a few years ago, the people who need these funds are often desparate. That makes the situation even more tragic.


Oftentimes in these cases, the perpetrators do resurface a few years later. A court judgment agianst them ensures that if these indviduals ever make good money, the funds can be recaptured.

I'm sending a letter sugugesting that to the Wayne County prosecutor today. Judgments survive--forever. AIDS victims who need the money, don't.

Anonymous said...

"A court judgment agianst them ensures that if these indviduals ever make good money, the funds can be recaptured."

Hence never working again or making money under the table. If I was ever sued and lost, I would just live off the government and do what millions of layabouts and bums do.

Wilson46201 said...

"would just live off the government and do what millions of layabouts and bums do."

The above commenter is seriously delusional about his ability to sponge off the taxpayers. As the retired Clerk of Center Township, I'm quite aware of the systems to prevent such scams. It's really horrible how truly needy people have to scramble for assistance -- arrogant yuppies conjure up fantasies of the good life on welfare. At best, folk can get help only up to about half the Federal poverty level.

Next we will hear echoes of Ronald Reagan's racist quotes about welfare queens in pink cadillacs. Such illusions provide a rationale for callousness by otherwise well-intentioned people...

Anonymous said...

"As the retired Clerk of Center Township, I'm quite aware of the systems to prevent such scams."

Explain. If I have no job and no income, are you saying the Center Township trustee would not help me? Isn't their job "poor" relief?

Anonymous said...

As I read the information regarding the impending plea agreement for the ex head of the Richmond Aids Task Force I felt a bit ill. Selkirk is being allowed to get a slap on the wrist after he stole tens of thousands of federal and state grant dollars.

This also reminds me of the lack of attention paid to the management of the Ft Wayne Aids Task Force Inc after the administrative assistant (Paula Lamb) was "discovered" to have stolen nearly $100,000.00. Just how could Paula Lamb steal about a grand a month for years...right under the Aids Task Force, Inc's executive director Greg Manifold nose?

Greg's lack of attention can mean only one of two things...either gross incompetence or that he was involved with the theft. I'm sure he would choose gross incompetence...

AND...I also recall he and Paula Lamb acting like little kids on Christmas morning as they searched through the donations for the -since ended- Upscale Garage Sales held by the Aids Task Force, Inc Fort Wayne. I also recall Paula Lamb telling me NOTHING was accepted as a donation for that sale unless it was going to be sold at the sale...only to see a few of the nice items we donated NOT being available for sale as the doors opened.

This was after Paula assured me nothing could be bought before the sale was open to the public.

ODD....

I watched the media attention to the AIDS WALK done by the Aids Task Force, Inc (Ft Wayne) earlier this month. They go on and on about how this approximately $45,000.00 is dearly needed for the 300 clients.

THe ATF Ft Wayne does NOT talk abou t the nearly ONE MILLION dollar budget they now have/use.....call and ask them to see a copy of their tax return...as a public not for profit agency they are obligated to honor that request...

Well...ATF goes on about 300 HIV+ people in Ft Wayne...but..this would lead one to think the ATF has the 300 HIV+ people -in Ft Wayne-as their clients. In fact, the ATF, Ft Wayne has the whole area of NE Indiana as their area...so these 300 clients are from the entire area...not just from Ft Wayne...so when you read the ATF going on about having 300 clents...and then about there being 300 HIV+ people in Ft Wayne...please do not confuse the facts...and believe everyone with HIV/AIDS flocks to the Aids Task Force in Ft Wayne... Many people stay away from the ATF at all cost because of prior abuses. I speak of this from personal experience.

Trust me...once they have lied...and abused a client it's tough to pretend all is as it should be at that organization. I personally would not trust any of the staff of the ATF with my animals...let alone my personal matters.

Then of course we in Ft Wayne have our Pastor Donald Archey of the Archey Aids Foundation.

I made sure Archey's use of donations for his personal benefit was "outed" to the medial. We are STILL waiting of the Indiana State Attorney General's office to actually do anything.

No doubt Archey will walk away as well as these other thieves.

I wonder what would happen if any of us would steal like these people did.....we would most likely be in jail for a long period of time.

Reverend Donald Archey now has the ARCHEY AIDS FOUNDATION linked to the Union Baptist Church here in Ft Wayne. I contacted the church several times wanting to speak with them about Archey...of course no reply....

One thing I noticed as Archey's treasurer was...the fact he paid his personal phone/internet/cable bill from the Archey Aids Foundation checking acct. Oddly...the phone number(comcast phone number)was listed as DONALD ARCHIE...(note the IE...instead of EY.... I initially felt it was a mistake..but now realize it was a smart move on Archey's part. He owes everyone and their brother money..>SO< if someone is looking for DONALD ARCHEY...all they can find -other than Archey Aids Foundation- is DONALD ARCHIE...in the phone book...so if someone called and asked for ARCHEY at the ARCHIE number...he can merely say they have not reached ARCHEY...get it?

The new phone books just came out...and it still shows up as DONALD ARCHIE.....and that IS Donald ARCHEY....SO ODD...and as I say...probably because if a person thinks like a crook..they know how to avoid someone finding them.

If one wants to look at abuses of funds...and misuse of authority and position they only need look in the offices of HIV/STD at the state dept of Health...these people get away with behind the scenes abuses on a daily basis.

I hope I see Paula Lamb on the street someday....I wonder if she has a large "T" on her forehead to warn people she will steal their money if given the chance???

It will be interesting to see what ends up actually happening to Selkirk...I wonder if he can show his face in Richmond???

Again...sadly disappointing to see people really can get away with murder(so to speak....)



SO sad....Paula Lamb is probably walking the streets a free woman....and Pastor Donald Archey is scamming new scams at his "new" church...when will it end?

Who knows???

Anonymous said...

Interesting article and comments. I once worked for ATFSCI (Richmond office) for a few months. We had 8 staff members, and I was told - and reminded repeatedly - 3 of those 8 were my supervisors! Way too top heavy. I met some wonderful people there, both co-workers and clients, but it was mismanaged. And the people who suffered the most were the ones who needed the services the most. I hope Indiana can straighten out the mess with the ATFSCI and reopenen it, but I doubt that the "once bitten, twice shy" community allegedly bitten by its recent management we've seen in the news can forget and forgive anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Greetings all,

VERY interesting...I see Pastor Donald Archey has managed to get his book -nearly- in print.

Tate Publishing -which is a vanity publisher...meaning one needs to pay them to print your manuscript instead of the publisher paying the author for the rights to publish- is soon going to release Reverend Archey's book entitled "Pastor How Did You Get Aids". No doubt this will turn out just like the rest of what Pastor Archey says...which is fiction. It still should be an interesting read...since those of use who know him will be able to pick up the lies immediately.

Donald has given several different versions of how he "got" HIV so thi should be interesting to see what is in print.

THEN..there is the issue that is not really gay???

Anyway...I'll let you know when I get a copy...

Have a great week..and stay cool,
Ron

Anonymous said...

Me again...I should really proof read before I hit the enter key...

Donald told me that he is NOT gay..and he does not understand why people think he is or was gay.

WELL....the man who co-founded Archey Aids Foundation was Pastor Archey's lover....this is according to Cathy WIlson...a long time friend and past board member of Archey Aids Foundation.


Anyway...just wanted to clear up my typo in the above listing...

Donald told people he got aids from a tainted needle(from shooting drugs) to somehow getting it in jail back in Atlanta, Georgia and another statement of his is his being raped by a man(I guess possibly when in jail)...so GOD only knows what the truth really is.

Perhaps the book will tell all....

Anonymous said...

Selkirk is a very tricky man. He also conned the United Methodist Church into allowing him to be a pastor in 97 until they figured out that he did not have the degrees he presented them. This man should not be underestimated he has fooled many people with his warm smile photographic memory and his ability to easily make people feel that he genuinely cares about them when he really just wants there money