Kaycie Antonik, the former executive director of the Eastern Ohio Housing Development Corp., will be donning prison garb for nearly five years following her conviction for pilfering more than $2.3 million from the housing nonprofit. The Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber's office, announced the sentence on Monday, with Antonik also facing the music in the form of a restitution payment upwards of $2.3 million.
Caught in a web of fraudulent activity, Antonik's misdeeds saw her manufacturing fake invoices and cashing checks to the tune of public funds earmarked for independent housing initiatives for the developmentally and chronically mentally ill adults, as per state policy. While serving the Eastern Ohio Housing Development, Antonik's husband's company supposedly received payments for non-existent services; she wrote herself extra payroll checks and used the organization's debit card for personal splurging – including cash withdrawals at a West Virginia casino where gambling didn't quite pay off.
In a statement reported by the Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber's office, condemned the theft as "another egregious example of someone abusing the public trust and using public resources for her own benefit." The Eastern Ohio Housing Development relies on state and federal funds to fulfill its mission, which was severely undercut by Antonik's thieving escapades.
After Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan caught wind of the possible fiscal foul play in March 2023, the Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) kicked off a probe that would ultimately bring Antonik's underhanded tactics to light. Antonik, who was relieved of her executive duties in April 2023, pleaded guilty in July to charges that included aggravated theft, tampering with records, and forgery, found in invoices that her husband's company was falsely linked to.
The fight against public sector corruption seems to be gaining traction with the SIU securing 145 convictions since 2019, resulting in over $16 million ordered in restitution. Touted by the Auditor's office, this unit continues to investigate hundreds of fraud allegations each year, encouraging the public to report suspicions through an online platform or a fraud hotline.
