More sordid Bush-like crimes from Minocqua, Wisconsin
Swiss Observer
Cambria Mares
By: Dierdre Strass
Amidst the several embezzlement cases that have rocked the Lakeland
area, Cambria Mares, the director of the Minocqua, Arbor Vitae,
Woodruff Area Chamber of Commerce (MAVWACC) stunned area residents
when the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department took her into custody this
week.
Mares allegedly absconded with thousands of dollars from World Musky
Hunt, Inc.
The total amount allegedly stolen is still undetermined, but at this
point is believed to be as much as $13,000. The matter is continuing
to be investigated by authorities.
Tuesday, Mares appeared with her attorney, Patrick Schilling, in
Oneida County Circuit Court before Court Commissioner Kirk Reese and
waived the reading of two charges of theft in a business setting of
more than $2,500 filed by Oneida County Assistant District Attorney
Steven Michlig.
The reports attached to the criminal complaint prepared by Det. Sgt.
Gregg Gardner, said authorities first learned of the alleged
misappropriations when Gardner was contacted Dec. 21 by Peter Farrow,
of Chippewa Falls, the current secretary/treasurer of World Musky
Hunt, Inc.
Gardner’s report
Mares served as secretary/treasurer for the organization from
September 2002 until September 2004. Her husband, Peter, served as
president during the same time frame.
According to the report, Farrow told Gardner he assumed his position
in September 2004 and was to have met with Mares shortly thereafter at
her MAVWACC office. Mares was to have turned over administrative and
financial information to Farrow at the September meeting. She failed
to show for the meeting.
“He was told that she had left town on a family emergency,” the report
said.
She had left some boxes for Farrow to pick up. However, he found only
administrative documents in the boxes and the financial documents were
missing.
He then went to USBank in Minocqua, the organization’s financial
institution. Farrow identified himself as the new treasurer and asked
for signature cards for both the savings and checking accounts.
An employee at the back told Farrow that the savings account had been
closed in December and a small balance had been transferred to the
checking account.
The report said Farrow told the employee he remembered hearing at the
organization’s Sept. 3 annual meeting, Mares’ giving a, “report at
their annual meeting in September of 2003, … (and) informed the
organization that there was approximately $14,000 in that savings
account.”
The bank employee told Farrow “that this account was cleaned out about
two months after that meeting.”
The employee then told Farrow, “There was a lot of activity on the
checking account that seemed suspicious,” the report said.
She also reportedly told Farrow there were two debit cards for the
checking account.
Farrow told Gardner the debit cards had never been authorized by the
organization.
Farrow then viewed account transactions for the last year and
according to the report, told Gardner, “He believed these were
unauthorized purchases because they had nothing to do with the
organization or with the tournament … Farrow explained that the
transactions for the past year show purchases all year long,” said the
report.
Farrow explained to the detective that most financial activity for the
organization took place the two months prior to the tournament and the
month following the event.
Farrow said he believed that approximately $15,000 was missing.
Financial reports prepared by Mares over a two-year period were
compared to actual fund balances and revealed significant
discrepancies when the totals were compared.
Documentation and reports
Gardner prepared a second investigative report dated Feb. 17 that
summarized financial transactions for both accounts dating back to
Sept. 3, 2002. The report was based on information received from
USBank as a result of a Jan. 4 subpoena.
The 12-page document indicated that among the dozens of transactions
recorded in both accounts, there were two large withdrawals made from
the savings accounts. One was for $6,000 dated December 2002 and the
other for $7,500 was withdrawn Jan. 23, 2003.
Both amounts had been deposited into the organization’s checking
account. Checks were written against the account for the same amounts
the day following the checking account deposits.
Transactions included checks written and signed by Mares, checks
supposedly signed by Mares but not in her handwriting, Internet
transfers and debit transactions.
These transactions paid for purchases at Wal-Mart, Trig’s, the Shell
gas station, utility bills, to Pete Mares, Frontier Communications,
among others, and even a check written to cash was endorsed by Cambria
Mares.
Gardner said there was extensive documentation for the debit card.
“These purchases are too numerous to mention in this report,” he said.
“These purchases began in March of 2003 and continued until December
of 2004.”
Among the debit purchases was a series of 11 charges for fuel
purchases beginning Aug. 17, 2004 ending Aug. 23, 2004. The purchases
were all made out of the area and were in four other states.
“I examined the purchases further and it appears as if the holder of
the card used it on a trip out west,” Gardner said in his report.
The end result
According to the records, the savings account was closed Dec. 9 at
Mare’s telephone request and $96.36 was transferred to the checking
account.
Gardner’s report said he compared the account balances with those
Mares submitted in financial reports to the organization September
2003 and September 2004. Both reports indicated that there was more
than $14,000 in the savings accounts.
However, in 2003 there was only a balance of $111 in the account and
in 2004 only $276.
Gardner also noted there were two deposits made to the savings account
in the amounts of $5,500 from Mares personal account and $800 from the
Mares’ joint account.
However both these amounts were eventually drained from the savings
account. As of Dec. 22 the checking account for World Musky Hunt, Inc.
had a remaining balance of $333.
Mares posted a $10,000 signature bond Tuesday, Feb. 22. She is
scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing before Oneida County
Circuit Court Judge Mark Mangerson March 29, 8:30 a.m., in the Oneida
County Circuit Court, Branch II courtroom. Posted: February 25, 2005