Posted: Friday, 26 February 2010 9:00PM

Former Stevensville Manager Pleads Not Guilty

Andrew Green Reporting

Former Stevensville Village Manager Todd Gardner pleaded not guilty to wire fraud charges on Friday in US District Court in Grand Rapids. He's accused of illegally depositing village funds into his own bank accounts and using the money for things like paying down the mortgages on his home and making personal purchases. The US Attorney's office says that Gardner embezzled around 293-thousand dollars in all between 2006 and 2009. He's currently free on bond, and his next court appearance hasn't yet been scheduled. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Borgula, who signed the indictment against Gardner, says he's not offering any public comments at this time.