The former treasurer of the Perry County Agricultural Society pleaded guilty Thursday to defrauding the Agricultural Society out of more than $100,000.
Billy E. Harris, 48, and currently living in St. Louis, admitted in Benton federal court that between June 5, 2012 and Oct. 3, 2018, he paid personal expenses and purchased items for his personal use with electronic debits from the PCAS bank account.
Harris also admitted writing checks on the PCAS account payable to himself and his spouse, and forging a board member's signature on those checks.
He was indicted in July 2021 on 10 counts of mail fraud in the Southern District of Illinois, U.S. District Court.
Harris is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. on May 5, 2022.
The mail fraud charge on which Harris has been convicted carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, and a period of supervised release of up to three years.
In addition, Harris can be ordered to pay full restitution to the PCAS.
The Perry County Agricultural Society puts on all of the festivals at the Perry County Fairgrounds in Pinckneyville, including the annual Perry County Fair. As treasurer, Harris was a volunteer.
According to authorities, items that Harris admitted purchasing with PCAS funds include a Wi-Fi router, Apple AirPods, a Himalayan Salt Lamp Air Purifier, Star Wars Darth Vader and Yoda personalized pet tags, a pair of Star Wars men's sleep pants, a floating pool fountain, a CPAP tube cleaning brush, and men's grooming products.
The St. Louis Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pinckneyville Police Department investigated the case. The Perry County state's attorney's office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman prosecuted the case.
