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Viniard, Foster Sentenced, No Additional Jail Time

Viniard, Foster Sentenced, No Additional Jail Time
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Nov. 16, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY
By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 16, 2017 | 05:10 PM | PADUCAH, KY
Former Ballard County Judge-Executive Vickie Viniard and former county Treasurer Belinda Foster were sentenced Thursday for their roles in  securing and concealing bank loans without authorization of the Fiscal  Court. However, they will spend no additional time in jail.

United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced the sentences, saying Viniard and Foster received sentences of time served and a 2-year period of  supervised release. They must also pay restitution, individually and jointly.

Viniard must pay $1,832.76 in individual restitution, Foster was ordered to pay $39,675.61, and together they must repay another $53,998.21. 

Viniard pleaded guilty in August to bank fraud, wire fraud and making false  statements on a loan application. Foster pleaded guilty last December to bank  fraud, wire fraud, and receiving fraudulent medical reimbursement payments. 

In a press release, Coleman said neither Viniard nor Foster had any history of criminal activity but both now stand convicted of felony offenses involving public corruption.

He said, “Our office and our law enforcement partners will hold elected officials accountable, be it for defrauding banks or the very resources of the people they were elected to represent. Vigorous investigation and ultimate federal prosecution of public officials in the Western District of Kentucky, who use their positions to steal from the public, should keep corrupt officials up at night.”   

While Viniard was Judge-Executive, she applied for and received a series of five unauthorized loans, totaling over $1 million, on behalf of Ballard County during a two-year period between June of 2012 and June of 2014. The loans were secured to cover shortages in operating expenses and make payments on bond obligations. But this was done without approval from the Ballard County Fiscal Court or informing the Kentucky Department of Local Government, both of which Viniard was required to do under Kentucky state law.

Foster assisted Viniard by concealing the existence of the loans and even acting as a co-signor on some of them. She labeled the loan proceeds as "payroll tax" and didn't report the loans to the county or state government. In addition to the fraudulent loans, Foster wrote herself checks for fraudulent medical reimbursement payments totaling over $27,000.
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