Phyllis Stevens, the chair of the Iowa branch of Marriage Equality USA, has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly embezzling nearly $6 million from insurance carrier Aviva USA, reports the Advocate.
Stevens, 58, was arrested by the FBI Friday in Las Vegas and charged with money laundering and wire fraud.
As a 35-year employee of the global life insurance company, Stevens has been laundering the funds over the past five years. She has allegedly been transferring money into a bank account owned by both she and her wife, Marla Stevens. While Phyllis is named as the perpetrator, Marla is also named in the suit because she benefited from the elaborate conspiracy. Marla, who is listed in campaign finance records as the director of publicity for the LGBT Fairness Fund, has yet to be charged.
A representative from Marriage Equality USA says that Phyllis Stevens served as a volunteer Chapter Leader for the MEUSA Central Iowa Chapter from April of 2007 until September 2009. "We are stunned and bewildered by the news we are reading from Iowa, and due to the situation Stevens was removed as a volunteer leader," a statement to the Advocate said.
According to an affidavit filed by an FBI special agent, a fellow employee of Aviva USA discovered Stevens's activity on September 22 when performing a financial review. The campaign finance records show that the couple also donated thousands of dollars to local and federal progressive causes and candidates including Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and MoveOn.org.
Aviva also filed a civil suit against Phyllis and Marla Stevens, who were married in Canada in 2003, seeking return of the allegedly stolen money.
Stevens remains in custody with the U.S. Marshals office awaiting to be returned to Iowa to face charges.
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