MILWAUKEE — A former City of Milwaukee employee is sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison for embezzlement.
47-year-old Kelly Whitmore-Behling, formerly of Milwaukee, used to work at the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works where she and another employee were responsible for disposing of vehicles and equipment the City no longer needed. Court records show that between June and September of 2022, “they executed an embezzlement scheme, selling City vehicles and equipment for cash and pocketing most of the proceeds for themselves. The City lost over $350,000 in revenue and was forced to incur additional expenses to replace needed vehicles and equipment that had gone missing”.
Court records also reveal that during the same time period, Ms. Whitmore-Behling gambled extensively at a local casino.
“Ms. Whitmore-Behling abused a position of trust and harmed not only the City itself but also every taxpayer who lives and works in Milwaukee,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad. “Her conduct caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of loss and risked undermining public faith in city government. I commend everyone who played a role in seeking to hold Ms. Whitmore-Behling and her codefendant accountable for their actions.”
“Ms. Whitmore-Behling was a public employee who cheated not only her employer but the citizens of Milwaukee by embezzling city funds to further her own greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating matters of public corruption, such as Whitmore-Behling, in which government employees betray the trust of the public for personal gain.”
Whitmore-Behling will serve 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release for her role in an embezzlement scheme.
