KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas priest has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 17 charges associated with an alleged $10 million scheme to defraud a foster care organization.
A release Monday outlined the charges against Robert N. Smith of Salina, Kansas. Smith faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 15 counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to the indictment, between Jan. 2018 and July 2021, Smith, and co-defendant, New York business man William Whymark, operated the scheme.
During the time, Smith was the chief executive officer of Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries. In the course of its oversight of SFM, Saint Francis Foundation authorized the hiring of Whymark as SFM’s Chief Information Officer.
The pair launched an effort to improve the agency’s IT services, through which Whymark billed and Smith paid - in violation of SFM’s policies - more than $4 million.
Whymark used the alleged fraudulently-obtained funds to purchase a house and other items in New York.
Smith is alleged to have used his SFM corporate credit card for personal expenditures in violation of the organization’s policies. Court documents allege Smith used the card to withdraw cash, buy clothing and jewelry, and to cover travel costs for he and his family.
Smith, who was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church in 2009, was asked to resign by the SFM board in Nov. 2020.
Smith, 50, was set to appear before a federal judge Monday afternoon in Topeka.
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