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Two Former St. Louis Parks Officials Plead Guilty To Fraud Charges

Steakpinball | Flickr

Two former St. Louis Parks Division officials have pleaded guilty to embezzling over $400,000 from the Parks Division. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District  of Missouri says Joseph Vacca, former deputy commissioner of the St. Louis Parks Division,  and Thomas Stritzel, former chief of the St. Louis Park Rangers pleaded guilty to the charges. According to the Attorney's office, it was through a system of false invoices that the two men acquired the money and used it for personal expenses including automobile leases, credit card payments and other items.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. and could result in up to 20 years in prison and/or $250,000 in fines for the two men.