Saint Francis Ministries on Friday confirmed a federal indictment against former CEO and President Rev. Robert N. Smith and former CIO (Chief Information Officer) William Whymark. The indictment accuses Smith and Whymark of conspiring and engaging in a scheme to defraud Saint Francis Ministries out of millions of dollars. The indictment says this happened through the submission and approval of materially false invoices to [Saint Francis Ministries] resulting in fraudulent payments of more than $4 million. This also included a kickback from Whymark to Smith, disguised as an authorized invoice in the amount of $50,000 and Smith’s use of a Saint Francis Ministries credit card for personal expenses. Saint Francis Ministries, a.k.a. Saint Francis Community Services, located in Salina, is a faith-based organization that provides foster care and social services in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi.
