(The Center Square) – The former leader of an eastern Ohio nonprofit focused on providing housing to developmentally and chronically mentally ill adults pleaded guilty to stealing more than $2.3 million from the organization.
Kaycie Antonik pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated theft of $1.5 million or more, a count of tampering with records, and two counts of forgery. All counts are felonies, according to state Auditor Keith Faber.
Faber said Antonik agreed to pay restitution and court costs totalling $2.3 million in a plea agreement. She’s scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 19 in Belmont County Common Pleas Court.
Antonik was the executive director of the Eastern Ohio Housing Development District. The Bridgeport, Ohio, organization gets state and federal funds to provide independent housing to developmentally and mentally ill adults.
It works with multi-county boards of developmental disabilities.
Bridgeport is just across the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia.
Antonik was fired from her position in April 2023.
Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan contacted Faber’s office in March 2023 about possibly theft by Antonik.
Faber said his Special Investigations Unit identified false invoices for Antonik’s husband’s company, fraudulent reimbursement, payroll checks to herself and improper purchases using the district’s debit card and cash withdrawals made at a West Virginia casino.
Flanagan was appointed as special prosecutor.
