Danny W. Fugate was arrested on charges of theft by unlawful taking of over $10,000. (Image courtesy of WPSD)
A Section 8 housing administrator in Paducah, Ky. was arrested this week after authorities say he stole over $10,000 from a scholarship endowment intended for Black students.
Danny W. Fugate, 58, was arrested Thursday, Jan. 11, at his home on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on a warrant charging theft by unlawful taking, station WPSD 6 reported. Fugate, who also serves as treasurer for the McCracken County Community Career Endowment, is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the local scholarship fund.
Members of the endowment’s Board of Directors said they suspected someone had been stealing from the pot, prompting a police investigation.
Fugate was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail, according to the news station. A spokesperson for the City of Paducah said the disgraced Section 8 housing administrator is suspended with pay until the police investigation into the alleged theft is completed. The city has also launched its own internal probe into the Section 8 Division.
The MCCCE’s Board of Directors issued the following statement Thursday:
“Since its inception, Mr. Fugate was a trusted friend and officer of the McCraken County Community Career Board of Directors. The MCCCE Board [and] its director, Don Mitchell, could not be more shocked to learn of the issues which have been raised and resulted in Mr. Fugate being charged criminally. MCCE has been cooperating, [and] will continue to cooperate, with the ongoing police investigation.”
