Former Lawrence mayor admits he embezzled money from food bank
A former mayor of Lawrence pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling thousands of dollars from the Douglas County food bank he once headed.
Jeremy James Farmer, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Topeka to interstate transportation of stolen money.
Farmer stole more than $5,000 while he served as executive director of Just Food, which served more than 40 other social service agencies in Douglas County, according to federal prosecutors.
He was elected mayor in 2013 and resigned in August 2015.
Farmer was hired as executive director of the food bank in 2011 and also resigned that position in 2015, according to court documents.
He began the embezzlement in 2013 and falsified the food bank’s financial records to conceal the thefts from its board of directors, according to the documents.
The crime carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc
This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Former Lawrence mayor admits he embezzled money from food bank."