A former Chillicothe couple were sentenced on charges involving the wife’s embezzlement from her employer and for the couple jointly filing a false income tax return not claiming the income.
Donna M. Preszler, 61, and her husband, Terrance W. Preszler, 64, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan. Donna Preszler was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Terrance Preszler was sentenced to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered the Preszlers to pay $4,049,121 in restitution to Burdg, Dunham & Associates Construction Corp. and $1,236,690 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
The court also ordered the Preszlers to forfeit to the government a money judgment of $3,912,000, two residential lots, two 14kt diamond rings, eight vehicles, three 2011 Yamaha ATVs and several bank and funeral trust accounts, all of which was derived from the proceeds of the criminal violations.
On Feb. 13, 2014, Donna Preszler pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and filing a false income tax return. Terrance Preszler pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return.
Donna Preszler was employed at Burdg, Dunham & Associates in Hamilton, Mo., from 2001 until June 2012, working as an accounting manager since 2004. BDA is a general contractor specializing in retail construction of malls, strip centers, family life centers, and other stand-alone projects. BDA serves customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, primarily building for national retail organizations.
Donna Preszler admitted that she embezzled $3,912,000 in a wire fraud scheme that lasted six years. She also admitted that she conducted financial transactions that involved the proceeds of her criminal activity.
Donna and Terrance Preszler each admitted that they failed to report the fraudulently obtained funds on their federal income tax returns for tax years 2007 through 2012. During that time, the Preszlers filed their federal income tax returns jointly and should have paid $1,236,690 in taxes on their unreported fraudulent income from BDA. For example, the Preszlers claimed their income in 2012 was only $46,863. Including the embezzled funds, according to today’s plea agreements, their income was actually $851,863 and they should have paid an additional $253,641 in taxes.
Donna Preszler utilized her role as accounting manager to add false and fictitious non-taxable payments, such as expense reimbursements, to herself. She also transferred nearly four million dollars to herself and her family and added false and fictitious overtime hours and overtime pay to her weekly payroll.
CHARLESTON (AP) — A Missouri man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for threatening to bomb Charleston schools to distract police while he robbed an area bank.
A federal judge sentenced 26-year-old Deidrick Reed on Monday. He received eight years for the false bomb threat and seven years for using a firearm during a crime.
Prosecutors say Reed admitted to calling Charleston authorities in December and claiming there were bombs at the elementary, junior and senior high schools. They say Reed and an accomplice robbed the Citizens Bank of Charleston of nearly $30,000 while law enforcement responded to the bomb threats.
KANSAS CITY- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 9 p.m. on Monday in Wyandotte County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford Escort driven by inner, Mark A. Winner, 44, Kansas City, was exiting onto Parallel from Interstate 435 and left the roadway for an unknown reason. The vehicle then struck a KDOT sign and came to rest in the ditch.
Winner was transported to Providence Medical Center.
The KHP reported he was properly restrained at the time of the accident.
PATONSBURG- A Missouri woman was injured in an accident just after 7 p.m. on Monday in Daviess County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1991 Chevy S-10 driven by Jeremy S. Arnote, 19, Bethany was southbound on 168th Street one mile north of Pattonsburg. The driver lost control on the dirt road. The vehicle traveled off the road and struck a tree.
A passenger in the vehicle Chelsie E. Henson, 25, Pattonsburg, was taken to Harrison County Community Hospital. Arnote was not injured.
The MSHP reported Henson was not wearing a seat belt.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas farmers have begun planting next year’s winter wheat while others are busy harvesting corn and sorghum.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 5 percent of the state’s wheat crop is seeded. That’s about average for mid-September.
Corn harvest has progressed to the 18 percent mark but remains behind the average of 23 percent. Corn condition is rated as 16 percent poor to very poor, 29 percent fair, 42 percent good and 13 percent excellent.
About 2 percent of the Kansas sorghum crop has now been cut, about average for this time of year.
A cold front last week dropped temperatures across the state, with light frost reported in isolated areas of north-central and northwest Kansas.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — More than 1,000 students have transferred from two St. Louis area school districts that have been struggling to gain traditional state accreditation.
Missouri law requires unaccredited districts to pay for students wishing to transfer to other nearby schools.
Figures presented to the State Board of Education show that 768 students have transferred in the current school year from the Riverview Gardens district.
The Normandy district has had 321 students transfer out, but that number could rise because a court ruling recently cleared the way for additional students to leave. The Normandy district is being run by a state-appointed board.
Deputy state education commissioner Ron Lankford says Normandy could face financial troubles if it has to pay for more than 500 transfer students. The district has a total of about 3,700 students.
Becky Vande Kieft, eEmergency nurse manager at Phillips County Hospital, talks via the new telemedicine link with a nurse at Avera eEmergency.-Photo by Bryan Thompson
By Jim McLean
KHI News Service
PHILLIPSBURG — A new nurse was on duty a few weeks ago in the emergency room at the Phillips County Hospital when paramedics arrived with a critically injured patient.
She immediately pushed the red button on some newly installed equipment. Seconds later, a seasoned ER nurse and board-certified doctor sitting at a bank of monitors 380 miles away in Sioux Falls, S.D., were using a high-definition camera and other diagnostic equipment to monitor the patient, give advice and document everything the on-site nurse was doing to save the patient’s life.
“The (Phillipsburg) nurse who was on was brand-new and she was being overwhelmed,” said Michelle Peak, a more experienced nurse who hustled to the ER to help.
Peak said even after she arrived, having an off-site nurse wired in and taking care of the charting was a “huge help.”
“It put us all a little more at ease,” she said. “But the big thing was, we didn’t have to take our hands off the patient.” First in Kansas
The Phillipsburg hospital is the first in the state to sign up for a 24/7 telemedicine program operated by Avera Health, a Catholic health care system based in Sioux Falls. For a flat fee of about $65,000 a year, it and the other hospitals in the network can make unlimited use of the eEmergency system.
“We want people to use it when they need it,” said Darcy Litzen, sales director for Avera’s eCare suite of telemedicine services, which also include eICU and ePharmacy. “We don’t want them thinking that it’s going to cost them an additional $50 or $75 every time they hit the button.”
With the addition of Phillipsburg, 89 rural hospitals in eight states across the upper Midwest are now using eEmergency, Litzen said. Another 10 are expected to come online soon, including Horton Community Hospital in northeast Kansas.
“I’ve been a firm believer in telemedicine since it first started evolving in the early 1990s,” said James Noble, CEO of the Horton hospital.
Having emergency room physicians, nurses and other specialists available day and night at the touch of a button can help less experienced staff in rural settings be more decisive in situations where every second counts, Noble said.
“It just increases their level of confidence,” he said. “It’s real time. You’ve got your second opinion right there. And you’ve got that specialist who’s an immediate backup for the family practitioner on call.”
Having specialists in the room, even if it’s via a video monitor, can also give patients increased confidence that they’re getting the care they need, Noble said.
‘Scary to be there by yourself’
Dr. Donald Kosiak can sympathize with the Phillipsburg nurse who found herself overwhelmed. He’s been there. With a medical degree from the University of North Dakota and graduate training at the Mayo Clinic, he confidently set up practice in the same small North Dakota town where his father and grandfather had practiced.
“There’s probably nothing I’m going to see in this small town that would ever scare me,” Kosiak said he remembers thinking at the time.
He was wrong. The first time he was called to the ER it was to treat a 16-year-old boy who had collapsed at school after suffering cardiac arrest. Wanting help, Kosiak said he asked the ER staff about using the telemedicine equipment sitting in the corner to connect with a specialist.
“They said, “Well, we’d have to dust it off and plug it in and remember how to use it, and then we’d have to call up to Bismarck, and they would have to dust their equipment off and call somebody. After about an hour, we might be able to make this work,’” he said recalling what he was told.
Kosiak wasn’t able to save the boy’s life.
“I think we did all the right things looking back on it, but it’s scary to be there by yourself and be the last and only line of defense for anything that comes through the front door,” he said.
That experience motivated Kosiak to help develop the Avera eCare system, with funding provided by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Holding on to patients
Michelle Peak, a registered nurse, and other staff at Phillips County Hospital watch their new video link with Avera eEmergency.-photo Bryan Thompson
Backstopping onsite caregivers helps to provide them confidence to treat patients they otherwise would be inclined to transfer to bigger hospitals and trauma centers, said Noble, the Horton hospital chief executive.
“I will tell you that right now, 99 percent of the time we err on the side of caution and decide to transfer patients,” he said.
But Noble said he believes that will change once the hospital is wired into the eEmergency system. If the hospital is able to reduce the number of patients it transfers, it would generate additional revenue and allow patients, many of whom are elderly, to recover closer to family and friends, Noble said.
Since 2009, rural hospitals using Avera’s eEmergency service have treated approximately 2,000 patients who otherwise would have transferred to larger hospitals, said Mandy Bell, the company’s development director. Avoiding those transfers generated about $15.8 million in savings and additional revenue for the hospitals, she said.
But many patients can’t get the care they need in a rural emergency room, Bell said. When a critically injured, heart attack or stroke patient needs to be transferred, the eEmergnecy staff can help get it done quickly. While the onsite ER staff is caring for the patient, the Avera nurse can be on the phone with the ambulance service and the destination hospital coordinating the transfer.
“We’ve seen a remarkable reduction in time to transfer,” Bell said.
Research indicates that advanced telehealth systems like those offered by Avera have the potential to produce huge savings, mainly by reducing unnecessary transfers and transportation costs.
A 2007 report by the Center for Information Technology Leadership found that equipping all the emergency rooms in the United States with telehealth technology could reduce patient transfers by almost 40 percent and cut transportation costs by nearly $540 million. The estimated savings, the report said at the time, would be more than enough to cover the costs of installing the equipment.
There also is evidence that hospitals with telehealth systems have an easier time recruiting doctors and other providers, in part because it reduces the stress of being on call.
For those and other reasons, Dave Engel, chief executive of the Phillipsburg County Hospital, is sold on the idea.
“This is really what the future of health care will be,” he said, “using technology to embrace the larger team of providers and specialists to care for individuals.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jarrod Dyson loves to boast about what speedy base runners can do.
Dyson and Terrance Gore used their speed to score as pinch runners in the ninth inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Monday night.
“He knows he’s got the ability to steal the tough base,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Mike Moustakas doubled with one out in the ninth. Dyson ran for him and stole third and came around to score as Jake Petricka (1-5) threw a wild pitch.
After Nori Aoki doubled with two outs — for his fourth hit of the game — Gore, who was called up from the minors on Sept. 1 to primarily be a pinch runner, ran for him and scored from second on Lorenzo Cain’s infield single.
“I was definitely going to be safe,” Cain said. “I just put it in play and ran. They ended up bobbling the ball and Gore scored. I was definitely thinking he’d field it and hold on. (Cain is) fast. It’s a huge win for the boys.”
It was a bizarre ending to a game that the White Sox led 3-0 going into the seventh.
“It was strange,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “When you see a play like that you think that’s OK, you can give it to them and try to get the next guy, but then they get another one. That kid (Gore) is fast. Speed can do a lot of things.”
Wade Davis (9-2) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the victory, extending his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings.
White Sox starter John Danks pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just two singles, both by Aoki, before departing after 103 pitches. He struck out six and walked four. Danks, who has a 1.73 ERA at Kauffman Stadium, has never lost to the Royals in 15 career starts.
The Royals scored all their runs off three White Sox relievers.
Royals right-hander James Shields, who had his career best 18 1/3 scoreless innings streak ended in the first, gave up three runs and 10 hits, while striking out six and walking none in seven innings.
“We had a lot of opportunities, but he came through,” Ventura said. “We never got the big hit to put it out of reach. He was tough.”
Avisail Garcia’s two-out single in the first scored Adam Eaton. Eaton, who had three hits, led off the White Sox third with a double and scored on a Shields’ wild pitch. Conor Gillaspie singled home Alexei Ramirez with the second run of the inning.
Eric Hosmer hit a double into shallow left off Javy Guerra to open the seventh and scored on Omar Infante’s single for the first Kansas City run.
Aoki led off the eighth with an infield single, advanced to second on Gillaspie’s throwing error, took third on a Zach Putnam’s wild pitch and scored on Alex Gordon’s single.
AOKI’S BIG NIGHT
Aoki’s four hits, two that did not leave the infield, matched his career high, last accomplished on Sept. 20, 2013, against St. Louis. He also walked, reaching base five times. Aoki, who swings left-handed, is hitting .360 against left-handed pitching. It was his fourth multi-hit game in his past eight games.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Chris Bassitt will make his fourth career appearance and third big league start Tuesday. Bassitt has allowed 14 hits, walked seven and hit two batters in 13 1/3 innings.
Royals: RHP Liam Hendriks, who retired only seven of the 15 batters he faced in a loss Thursday to Boston, will make another spot start Tuesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: DH-1B Paul Konerko (fractured left hand) took batting practice and could return to the lineup this week.
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (sore shoulder) will miss another start. He is scheduled to throw a 50-pitch four-inning simulated game Tuesday. If he has no problems, he will start Monday at Cleveland. . DH-OF Josh Willingham (groin strain) said he is available to pinch hit. He has trouble running, but not swinging.
University of Missouri junior DE Shane Ray (Kansas City, Mo.) was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his big day this past Saturday as he helped lead Mizzou to a 38-10 win over UCF. Ray won the award, as announced tonight by the league office, after recording seven tackles (all solo stops), including a career-best 4.0 tackles for loss, with 2.0 quarterback sacks.
Ray also forced a fumble against the Knights, which led to one of four turnovers forced by the Tiger defense in the second half, as Mizzou extended a 14-10 halftime lead with a dominant second half.
Through three games, Ray’s season total of 7.5 tackles for loss is tops in the nation, and his 5.0 sacks is currently the number-three mark in the NCAA.
He becomes the second Tiger in the last two weeks to win a weekly player of the week award in the SEC, as he joins sophomore QB Maty Mauk, who won the offensive player of the week on September 8th for his play in MU’s win at Toledo.
Ray is now the fifth Tiger defender to win the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Week award in the last three seasons. He joins SS Kenronte Walker (2012 vs. Arizona State), LB Kentrell Brothers (2013 at Georgia), DE Michael Sam (2013 at Vanderbilt) and CB E.J. Gaines (2013 vs. Texas A&M) on the distinct list.
“It’s a great honor, I’m really excited about receiving this award,” Ray said. “It’s nice to be recognized, I think it means that I’m doing good things and that my team is doing good things. I feel like there’s a lot of guys on this team that deserve recognition, but in the end, we play for each other and we just have to keep working hard to accomplish our goals,” he said.
Ray and the 18th-ranked Tigers continue preparations this week for Saturday’s showdown against the Indiana Hoosiers. The game is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field.
Central Missouri’s LaVance Taylor was named the MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week after a record breaking performance. Central Oklahoma’s Cody Jones won the defensive award and Fort Hays State’s Drew O’Brien won on special teams.
MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week
LaVance Taylor, RB, Central Missouri
Taylor had a record-setting day as Central Missouri beat #19 Emporia State 50-31, amassing nearly 400 yards of all-purpose yards and scoring six touchdowns. He rushed for 288 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries for a 12.5 yards per carry average. He had three receptions for eight yards and a touchdown and had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He set four single-game school records and tied a career-record in the process. His 288 rushing yards are the most in a single-game in school history, as were his six touchdowns and 36 points scored. His 394 all-purpose yards were also a single-game UCM record. His kickoff return for a touchdown was the third of his career, tying the UCM career record. The 5-11 senior running back is a native of Raytown, Mo. where he competed at Raytown High School.
MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week
Cody Jones, DB, Central Oklahoma
Jones came up with two big interceptions during UCO’s 26-17 upset of Missouri Western. The junior cornerback returned the first one 41 yards to the MWSU four-yard-line late in the first half to set up a short UCO field goal that got the Bronchos within 14-10 at halftime and he sealed the win with a 42-yard touchdown return on the final play of the game. Jones added three unassisted tackles, including one for a four-yard loss, and broke up another pass. The 5-11 junior defensive back is a native of Bakersfield, Calif. where he competed at Highland High School and Bakersfield College.
MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Drew O’ Brien, K, Fort Hays State
O’ Brien was a perfect 2-of-2 on field goal attempts in a 48-13 win at Northeastern State. He connected from 41 yards and 38 yards in the second quarter, pushing the FHSU lead to 10-6 and then 13-6. He also had three punts go for an average of 44.7 yards, two that went 50 or more yards with 53 as his best effort. He also averaged 60.8 yards on kickoffs. The 6-0 kicker/punter is a native of Hays, Kan. where he competed at TMP-Marian High School.
A former Chillicothe couple were sentenced on charges involving the wife’s embezzlement from her employer and for the couple jointly filing a false income tax return not claiming the income.
