The V.I. Justice Department has filed a 44-count criminal complaint against the former regional manager of the Tourism Department office in Chicago. Susanna Hodge Riddle is facing charges of embezzlement and filing of fraudulent claims against the government in connection with the alleged misappropriation of almost $19,000 worth of government funds to her own uses.
In an affidavit filed in Territorial Court on Thursday by special agents of the Justice Department's White Collar Investigation Division, Riddle is accused of spending government funds for which no supporting documentation was submitted.
The investigation coincides with an audit released on Jan. 8 by the Bureau of Audit and Control which spotlighted the misappropriations. Among the questionable expenditures were the drawing of checks from a bank account written to Riddle and in one instance, a check written to a member of Riddle's family. The audit also revealed questionable automated teller machine withdrawals.
The documents filed Thursday indicated the checks paid to Riddle for which no documentation was provided totaled $11,024.45; the ATM withdrawals totaled $4,503.50; and the suspicious checks written by Riddle totaled $3,454.61.
The Justice Department is seeking to have Riddle appear before the court to address the complaint filed against her by the government.
Riddle was regional manager in the Chicago office for about four years, according to acting Tourism Commissioner Monique Sibilly-Hodge, who requested the audit. Riddle resigned from Tourism on Jan. 17, 2000.
Several attempts by the Tourism Department to contact Riddle have been unsuccessful including certified mail that was returned to the department.
