Mark Green, the former superintendent of Columbia City Parks and Recreation, found himself on the wrong side of the law after being caught embezzling a staggering amount of over $240,000 from the city’s funds. This illicit activity came to light when Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel initiated an investigation in March 2023 due to suspicious financial transactions.
The collaborative efforts of the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana State Board of Accounts uncovered Green’s misdeeds, leading to his prompt termination from his position. Shocking revelations from court documents exposed that Green shamelessly splurged approximately $246,000 buying baseball cards from ‘Sport Spot’ using the city’s credit card. Moreover, he resorted to selling some of these cards on eBay, eventually confessing to the unauthorized use of city funds for his personal collection.
Initially facing a daunting array of charges including four counts of corrupt business influence, four counts of theft, and one count of official misconduct, Green opted to plead guilty in April 2024 to a single count of theft under a predetermined plea agreement. As part of this deal, all other charges against him were dropped, compelling Green to make restitution amounting to $275,628. This significant sum comprised a $100,000 payment to a bond company and the remaining $175,628 directed back to the city’s coffers.
The court handed down Green’s sentence on a Monday, decreeing that he serve the first year of his three-year term either in jail or under a work-release program, with the subsequent two years under probationary supervision. The repercussions of Green’s actions have reverberated through the corridors of Columbia City’s Parks and Recreation Department, shining a harsh spotlight on the urgent need for stringent financial controls and oversight to forestall such malfeasance in the future.
