Former City of Milwaukee Employee Sentenced in Embezzlement Case

Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 17, 2024, Kelly Whitmore-Behling (age: 47), formerly of Milwaukee, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years' supervised release for her role in an embezzlement scheme.

According to court records, Ms. Whitmore-Behling and her co-defendant were employed by the City of Milwaukee's Department of Public Works, where their responsibilities included disposing of vehicles and equipment the City no longer needed. 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. The scheme ended when the co-defendants were suspended from work and the Department of Public Works conducted a thorough equipment audit that revealed the scope of their fraud.

"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 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."

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson.

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