Topeka Man Uses Federal Grant Funds As Shopping Money

TOPEKA, KAN. – A former employee of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) pleaded guilty to misapplying thousands of dollars the tribe received in federal grants and using the money to purchase sports memorabilia. According to court documents, Matthew Waits, 41, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of federal grant funds. Waits previously worked for the PBPN as manager and program director of the Diabetes Prevention Program. In January 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) / Indian Health Service awarded federal grants and assistance to the tribe. Waits misapplied more than $5,000 in grant money by using it to buy sports memorabilia, which is not an authorized purchase under the rules of the grant and in violation of federal law.

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