The Peoria Police investigation into WTVP-TV Channel 47 found four areas of concern.
UNAUTHORIZED LIQUIDATION OF FUNDS: Without authorization, late CEO Lesley Matuszak had $320,000 transferred from WTVP’s investment account with Cypress Asset Management to the station’s checking account, and used another $100,000 from its line of credit at PNC Bank, “believed to be done to hide the misappropriation of funds,” PPD said. “The Director of Finance and Human Relations (then Lin McLaughlin) … was approving a lot of the fraudulent activity, either through incompetence or personal gain.”
CREDIT CARD: A list of what the station considered improper transactions from November 2019 to September 2023 totaled $375,017, and the 335 pages of documents police were able to examine “made up a total of $731,665.89 worth of submitted expenses by Lesley,” PPD said. Some are assumed to have been legitimate.
“There appears to be no questioning of the obvious personal expenses by Lesley [by those responsible to do so],” police said. “It was all coded as WTVP operational expenses.”
Besides purchases at Saks, acquisitions occurred at Bergdorf Goodman, which specializes in expensive brands such as Gucci and Prada. Other unusual charges included payments to seven insurance companies for what looks to be personal coverage; a donation to state Rep. Ryan Spain (prohibited by law for nonprofits); travel, including golf outings; car expenses beyond Matuszak’s $500 monthly car stipend from her contract with WTVP; and paying a phone bill for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Peoria. (Matuszak and McLaughlin had worked together for about 18 years and had been employed at the Boys and Girls Club.)
Case closed: Probe into WTVP sees proof of embezzlement
QUESTIONABLE REIMBURSEMENTS: Among some $500,000 in reimbursements the station made to Matuszak over almost four years, some without documentation, were her membership dues to the Creve Coeur Club and the Peoria Country Club.
LUXURY AUCTIONS: Three such purported fundraisers were held in October 2020, November 2021 and November 2022, and “supposedly sold at that auction,” PPD said, were “higher-end” items such as two jeweled tennis bracelets costing $10,000 and $16,000 and an unidentified $30,000 purchase. Police said items totaling $88,285.01 included goods from Dior ($14,497.88), Brom’s Furs & Fashions ($36,000) and Potter & Anderson ($17,101).
“The money never came into the bank account, nor was it recorded as revenue,” PPD said.
Further, the top three auction donors received nothing, said PPD, adding the goods “have yet to be located.”
One donor denied signing a $100,000 invoice from the auction, “indicating Lesley had forged [a] signature for receipt of the itemized jewelry,” PPD said.