Mark Green, the former superintendent of Columbia City Parks and Recreation, has found himself in hot water after being sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling more than $240,000 from city funds. The scandal emerged after Mayor Ryan Daniel initiated an investigation in March 2023, following suspicious financial transactions that raised red flags.
Collaborating with the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana State Board of Accounts, officials uncovered Green’s unlawful activities. The probe ultimately led to his dismissal from the prestigious position he abused for personal gain. Documents presented in court unveiled Green’s extravagant spending habits, particularly his splurging of approximately $246,000 on baseball cards from ‘Sport Spot,’ using the city’s credit card as his personal shopping spree fund.
After acquiring the cards, Green took to eBay to offload some of his ill-gotten gains. Eventually, the former superintendent confessed to the improper use of municipal funds to fuel his collector’s obsession. Originally faced with a laundry list of charges, including four counts of corrupt business influence, four counts of theft, and one count of official misconduct, Green opted for a plea deal in April 2024. By pleading guilty to a single theft charge, all other accusations against him were dropped, under the condition that he repays a sum totaling $275,628.
The mandated restitution comprised $100,000 to a bond company and the remaining $175,628 to the city coffers he had shamelessly depleted. Green’s day of reckoning arrived on a somber Monday in court, where he received a three-year sentence. The initial year must be served behind bars or on work release, with the subsequent two years to be carried out under probationary terms.
This scandal has shed light on the glaring deficiencies in financial oversight within Columbia City’s Parks and Recreation Department. Calls for stronger internal controls and stricter monitoring have reverberated within the local community, as residents and officials alike demand more stringent measures to prevent future breaches of trust. Green’s downfall serves as a cautionary tale against the temptation of corruption and the consequences one faces when succumbing to such unethical behaviors.
