TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Tallahassee Police has made an arrest in connection to “a 2024 fraud investigation that included stolen City of Tallahassee funds,” according to the city.
Detectives identified, investigated, and arrested Richard N. Golding of Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, following an extensive operation, city officials wrote in a press release.
He faces charges of two counts of wire fraud, money laundering, grand theft and attempted grand theft, per the press release.
The investigation revealed that the Chicago suburb “unlawfully and willingly participated in the receipt of $2.35 million in stolen funds and facilitated the international transfer of funds to a Mexican bank for an unidentified criminal network,” officials said.
Furthermore, the investigation also revealed that the City of Tallahassee was just one of multiple victims of this fraud, according to the release.
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Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell says $1.4 million was recovered following the investigation.
“No crime is faceless. Someone sought to harm each member of this community by stealing public dollars,” he said. “Thanks to the expertise, tireless dedication and persistence of our investigators, $1.4 million dollars was recovered for the citizens of Tallahassee, and justice will be served.”
The announcement of the arrest comes three days after a Tallahassee-based watchdog called on the police department to turn over the investigation from city hall to the FBI.
A day later, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced it would not investigate the missing million from the city.
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