The Shredder, the Two Grants, and the Missing $61,200

The Shredder, the Two Grants, and the Missing $61,200 Fear that trusted caretakers can quietly convert preservation funding into private paychecks: two separate $48,000 grants meant to digitize fragile county records arrived without either funder knowing about the other, yet bank transfers show $61,200 vanished into a private account - who shredded the paper trail and why? In this episode, we follow the timeline from the basement shredder still running and two inches of standing water at the Pelham County Historical Society to the discovery of mismatched receipts, unexplained transfers, and a one‑person LLC that processed grant labor payments; what do the records and bank statements reveal about the missing funds? Person: John Petersen Location: Pelham County Historical Society on Alderton Street Date: 2017-2018 Event: Two $48,000 grants disbursed for digitization Amount missing: $61,200 - Two grants of $48,000 each were awarded, totaling $96,000, with disbursements in August 2017 and January 2018. - A scanner bought from a regional reseller had an actual invoice price of $3,100 but was billed to a funder as $8,900, a $5,800 discrepancy moved in three transfers over six weeks. - PH Archival Services LLC was formed in summer 2017, listed one client (the Society), one employee (John Petersen), and a post office box address two towns over. - John Petersen’s salary at the Society was $52,000 per year and he had served as executive director for eleven years. - Archivist Louise Henby worked roughly 12 hours per week for 14 months at $15 per hour and retained employment records from the project. 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].