The former police chief of the Carlyle Police Department is facing several federal charges for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 for his personal benefit.
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging 52-year-old Mark A. Pingsterhaus of Carlyle with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of theft of government funds.
According to the indictment, Pingsterhaus is facing charges for allegedly embezzling funds from at least January 2017 to November 2025 as police chief for the City of Carlyle and as the chief financial officer for the Carlyle Fire Protection District.
Pingsterhaus is accused of using City of Carlyle and Carlyle Fire Protection District funds for unauthorized and personal expenses like travel, entertainment, goods and services. In two examples, the indictment states he used the City of Carlyle’s bank card to purchase WNBA tickets and the Caryle Fire Protection District’s bank card to purchase jewelry from Zales.
“Our partnership to combat violent crime and drug trafficking with the Carlyle Police Department and surrounding agencies has led to results that have undoubtedly made the region safer. That being said, our mission is to not only combat violent crime, but to protect against the exploitation of the very systems designed to help our communities,” said FBI Springfield Field Office’s Special Agent in Charge Ruben Marchand-Morales. “When resources meant for community elevation are diverted for personal gain, it undermines the safety we work so hard to build and harms the community we swore to protect.”
He is also accused of using funds from the Carlyle Police Department’s Drug and Education Fund for personal expenses.
Convictions for wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and theft of government funds can earn up to 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI Springfield Field Office is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
