Topeka man charged with embezzlement

TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance before a judge after a federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging him with financial fraud.

Matthew Waits, 39, of Topeka is charged with one count of thefts concerning a program receiving federal funds.

According to court documents, between January 2023 and December 2023, Waits is accused of using his position as program manager and director of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s Diabetes Prevention Program to embezzle $5,000 or more in federal grant money. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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