He Stole the Memorial Fund - Victims Got Eleven Dollars Back

He Stole the Memorial Fund - Victims Got Eleven Dollars Back The memorial account meant to honor three fallen firefighters held exactly eleven dollars on the day bronze plaques were unveiled - not eleven thousand, not eleven hundred - after a decade of quiet, in-person cash withdrawals that totaled $61,200. How did a trusted local volunteer turn memorial donations into personal payments and keep two separate frauds running until a retired librarian's bank statement unraveled everything? In this episode, we tell the sequence of events that led from neighborhood fundraisers and typed annual summaries to bank records and an Attorney General audit, following the people and transactions that revealed the gap between what was shown and what actually existed. What did the records prove about the memorial account and the parallel investment scheme? Person: Dean Padgett Age: 47 Location: Harwick Account: Teller's First Bank of Mercer County, ending 4471 Total cash withdrawals: $61,200 - The memorial fund account balance was $11 on the day four bronze plaques were installed. - Padgett circulated a January 2018 summary showing $42,300 while the actual account held $912. - From 2016 onward Padgett made 47 separate in-person cash transactions at the Birch Avenue branch. - Harwick Community Investment Partners solicited 31 individuals with false promises of commercial real estate returns. - Marie Farrell, age 62, had saved $4,000 for a trip to Portugal and later filed the complaint that prompted the audit. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].