Residents of Grand Haven Area Public Schools district have been led to believe that Brian Wheeler acted alone in regards to the $1.4 million embezzlement from GHAPS. But pay close attention to the wording of the article Audit shows administrator worked alone in embezzling from Grand Haven Area Public Schools. What it actually says is, “After months of analysis by Plante Moran, the report didn’t reveal any evidence indicating that Wheeler colluded with other district employees, or that anyone on the board of education or staff was aware of the embezzlement.” This statement does not eliminate the possibility that someone working outside of the GHAPS family was involved in the embezzlement. In fact, we have found evidence that indicates Brian Wheeler did not act alone.
First, the July 5, 2022 bombshell email from former board member Barbara Pietrangelo included several questions. Question “(8) Does insurance cover embezzlement loss of non-employees? (9) Since the embezzlement crossed state lines, has the FBI been involved? (13) REDACTED basically confessed to criminal activity with Wheeler. Why was REDACTED so cooperative?”
What Barbara Pietrangelo was likely referring to is further explained by reading the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety police report (suspect report included below). In the report an officer details two phone conversations he had with a suspect who lived in California.
In the police report it explains that the suspect was in California working as an electrician. He began working as an electrician around 2001 as an apprentice and later became a contractor in the State of Michigan. He had started his company sometime between 2003, 2004, or 2005? In the course of working as an electrician, he met Brian Wheeler, and it sounds like he later partnered with Brian, believing Brian was hiring people who were unemployable to work for GHAPS, and paying them through his company. Brian Wheeler would give him checks (later through Cash App) and he would give Brian money for the people that worked. Brian would deposit the checks into a joint business account and he would transfer money back to Brian for the people that needed to get paid. For example, if Wheeler deposited a check for $5000, he would forward Wheeler $4100 and he would keep $900. He had been getting paid $900 every two weeks by Wheeler since around 2015.
Duran O’Neil Mullen was the registered owner of Infinity Electrical, LLC. Duran has a criminal history in Los Angeles County California and in Muskegon County Michigan. His record includes assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) which resulted in a 5-year prison sentence. Although he is the registered owner of Infinity Electrical LLC, he was never charged in connection with the GHAPS embezzlement.
I would like to know the answers to Barbara Pietrangelo’s questions.
Was the suspect who basically confessed the same person who held a joint bank account with Wheeler?
Why was this person cooperative?
Why wasn’t this person charged?
Did GHAPS attempt to recoup financial losses from anyone other than Wheeler?