News : CHARGES FILED ON VINTON WOMAN FOR EMBEZZLEMENT OF NEARLY $300,000.00

Kelly Banghart of Vinton, charged with embezzling nearly $300,000 from Ervin Motors

On September 23, 2019, the Vinton Police Department was contacted by Ervin Motor Company in Vinton regarding suspicious activity in their business checking account.

A subsequent investigation identified an employee of Ervin Motor Company, Kelly Ann Banghart, age 56, of Vinton, as a suspect in a large amount of missing business funds over a multi-year period.

It was ultimately determined that Banghart had stolen a total of $295,608.31 from the Ervin Motor Company’s bank account between May 2015 and August 2019, in order to make unauthorized payments towards her personal credit cards.

Banghart subsequently admitted to investigators that she had stolen the funds.

A criminal complaint was subsequently filed against Banghart for the following: Theft 1st Degree, Class C Felony, section 714.1 / 714.2(1) of the Code of Iowa Banghart was booked and released from the Benton County Jail on October 3, 2019.

An arrest or criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant(s) is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.