Many unanswered questions remain
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FULLERTON — The city of Fullerton is cooperating with the Nebraska State Patrol regarding a $174,086.55 wire fraud scheme.
The Fullerton City Attorney Katie Sharp released the following statement:
The City of Fullerton announced that it fell victim to a sophisticated wire fraud scheme. Believing that the City was paying one of its contractors, the City wired funds in the amount of $174,086.55. Law enforcement was contacted immediately upon discovering the fraudulent activity.
Reports were promptly filed with the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The City is fully cooperating with these agencies as they conduct a thorough investigation. The City is deeply disappointed by this incident, but is actively working alongside investigators to recover the funds.
While the broader investigation remains pending, a significant break in the case has occurred. Law enforcement has arrested a female suspect connected to the fraud. She has since been extradited to North Dakota, where she faces similar charges related to wire theft. It is believed that several other individuals were involved in these fraudulent activities.
To protect the integrity of the ongoing multi-jurisdictional investigation, the City cannot release further details regarding the incident at this time.
The City has already begun implementing additional heightened security measures and financial controls to prevent future incidents. Further updates will be provided as they become available and as permitted by law enforcement.
The Fullerton City Council received a copy of the statement at their regular monthly meeting on June 16. Nance County Sheriff Ben Bakewell said last week that his department was not aware of the investigation until reading the city’s statement on Wednesday.
The Nebraska State Patrol declined to comment on the investigation.
“This is still very much an ongoing investigation, so I can’t release details at this time,” Cody Thomas, public affairs director with the Nebraska State Patrol, said. “When we can, I’ll be sure to send them over.”
The Fullerton City Council approved a claim by A Plus Contracting at their Sept. 17, 2025, meeting for $174,086.55. The description on the claim is for the street project.
In the days following the city’s disclosure of the incident of wire fraud, the Nance County Journal reached out to Sharp with numerous questions. Our staff also made a records request. The city declined to comment and denied our records request.
“The investigation continues so I cannot comment on the matter further and I have advised my client to not comment on the matter as well,” Sharp said in an email on Monday. “Additionally, the records you requested relating to this incident are being withheld, pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712.05. I appreciate the work that you do on behalf of the Fullerton community and your desire to know more information. I’m sure you can understand the sensitivity of this matter and the importance of permitting the authorities to complete their duties without details being divulged.”
Following the June 16 city council meeting, the Nance County Journal asked for a copy of the invoice associated with the wire fraud case.
The following questions were sent to Sharp at 9:52 a.m. on June 17:
• The city received an invoice for $174,086.55. You said last night that it was with a vendor you guys have worked with before. Did the invoice match work that had been completed recently by that vendor? What protocols are followed when paying a bill of that amount?
• Can you say who the vendor was?
• Does the person arrested have a connection to that vendor? Basically, was the invoice real, but the payment information changed to a false pay place?
• When did the payment occur?
• The city council has to approve claims. When was it approved?
• What happens to the $174,086.55? Will the city be made whole? How long of a process will it be before the city receives the funds back?
• Have any measures been put into place to ensure something like this does not happen again?
The following questions were sent to Sharp at 10:02 a.m. on June 17:
• When did you guys know that you were victims of fraud?
• When did you contact NSP? When did the investigation begin? You mentioned last night that it spans multiple states. Can you say how many (may be a NSP question).
• Was that the first payment to this vendor? How did the scammer know the city had work done with this vendor?
The following questions were sent to Sharp at 12:22 p.m. on June 18:
• When was the city council made aware of the case?
• I'd like to make a records request for any emails between City Employees (Patty / April) and any Elected Officials (Mayor / City Council) regarding this case. I'm assuming you are copied on every email they send (in this case at least). Can the city waive attorney client privilege to the extent that you are not giving legal advice to anyone?
The following question was sent to Sharp at 1:05 p.m. on June 18:
• This week was the first week I remember hearing anything about the case in a public meeting. Has the council discussed the case in an executive session? (Not asking what they discussed in the closed session. Just asking to the extent that there was a closed session that anything was discussed on this issue).