Ex-Middletown Tourism Boss Busted in Alleged Debit Card Caper

Mary Huttlinger, the former executive director of the Middletown Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been charged with theft and misuse of a debit card after auditors and state investigators flagged problems at the now-dissolved nonprofit. Court complaints accuse Huttlinger of making 31 unauthorized purchases totaling $2,819.39 between August 2022 and October 2023, allegedly after the bureau had already ceased operations. She has been summoned for arraignment on June 2, 2026.

According to FOX19, the complaints were filed last Tuesday by Fraud Investigator John Uhl with the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit. They allege Huttlinger kept the bureau’s debit card and used it for purchases from vendors including Amazon, Apple, Canva and Purrfect Potion. The filings list the transactions as occurring between August 2022 and October 2023 and totaling about $2,819.39.

Audit flagged missing records and a small final balance

The Auditor of State’s December 2025 report documented serious recordkeeping and internal-control failures at the Middletown bureau, including missing invoices, the absence of monthly bank-to-book reconciliations and trustees’ refusal to provide required written representations. The report notes that the board voted to dissolve the bureau on August 29, 2022, that the Ohio Secretary of State canceled the entity on May 2, 2023, and that the bureau’s final cash balance of $7,176 was later disbursed as $5,058 unclassified and $2,118 to the city, as detailed by the Auditor of State.

Earlier scrutiny at Keep Cincinnati Beautiful

Huttlinger previously served as executive director of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and was placed on paid leave in 2017 after the organization’s billing practices drew scrutiny from city officials. Local reporting and a city audit later found the nonprofit had billed the city for projects that were not performed and concluded Huttlinger was overpaid $3,924.96 for misreported leave, according to WCPO.

Employment and official responses

After leaving the visitors bureau, Huttlinger took a role as Government Affairs Director at the REALTOR® Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, where the group lists her on its staff page. When contacted by reporters, Huttlinger said she was "tied up in meetings" and would follow up later. A spokesman for the Auditor’s Office told FOX19 that the investigation is ongoing and that a news release is being prepared.

Legal implications and next steps

The complaints filed in Clermont County are listed as misdemeanor counts in court records, and Huttlinger is scheduled for arraignment on June 2. Ohio law outlaws misuse of credit cards and explains when a series of unlawful transactions can be elevated based on cumulative value; see the Ohio Revised Code section 2913.21 and the Ohio Revised Code section 2913.02 for the relevant statutes. The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit, which is a team of forensic auditors, investigators and attorneys that can refer cases to prosecutors, is handling the probe, per the agency’s overview (Auditor of State).