Former Bullitt Co. official sentenced to federal prison for stealing over $400k from beneficiaries

A former Bullitt County official has been sentenced after stealing over $400,000 from beneficiaries.

John A. Schmidt, 67, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in federal prison after being convicted on wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, Michael A. Bennett.

Between September 2014 and January 2019, Schmidt, an attorney and the former Bullitt County Master Commissioner, schemed to steal over $435,000 while he was serving as the court appointed trustee for two trusts, “the beneficiaries of which relied on Schmidt to manage the trusts’ assets,” prosecutors said.

As part of his scheme, Schmidt stole from the trusts to pay for his own personal expenditures, including “paying debts he incurred to individuals he had represented, or purported to represent, in the course of his legal practice and to replace missing funds from the Bullitt County Master Commissioner bank account,” according to prosecutors.

Schmidt was also ordered to pay restitution to multiple victims.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force.

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com