$20K seized from pension of Cincinnati parking worker who admits stealing quarters for years
5/12/2014CINCINNATI — The city of Cincinnati has seized $20,000 from a former parking collections worker who admitted to stealing $50 in quarters every week for about eight years.
Marc Corsmeier, 56, of Loveland, pleaded guilty in Hamilton County court on Monday to one count of theft in office and was sentenced to three years of probation.
He also has to pay back the money, but he won’t be using quarters — the city already got restitution by seizing $20,000 from Corsmeier’s pension fund, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Corsmeier’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call for comment Monday.
Prosecutors say the scheme was uncovered after a convenience store owner who knew where Corsmeier worked thought it was strange that he always paid in quarters.
After telling another city worker who frequented his store about the oddity, that employee contacted city officials, who soon called the police.
Police set up surveillance cameras in Corsmeier’s office and stopped him as he left work one day in September last year, finding a gym bag full of coins.
Prosecutors say Corsmeier, whose job it was to deliver coins collected from parking meters to the bank, quickly confessed, saying he’d been stealing about $50 in coins a week since he began working in parking collections, or about $20,000.
Corsmeier was put on leave after his arrest and no longer works for the city.