Ex-Wife Of Former Street Supt. Sued For $955K
SOUTH BEND — The ex-wife of Warsaw’s former street superintendent continues to make headlines for her role in a kickback scheme that police say defrauded the City of Warsaw out of tens of thousands of dollars.
Mildred L. Francis, 60, 317 W. Smith St., Warsaw, was sued in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana, located in South Bend in the amount of $955,707. A judgement in that amount for damages was entered Sept. 4. She was served a summons in the case Sept. 13.
Francis was arrested in May, 2014, on charges of money laundering stemming from a case involving her then-husband, Lacy Francis, Jr., who served as Warsaw’s street superintendent for 23 years. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in July, 2017, with two of those years to actually serve behind bars.
For her part, Mildred, also known as “Millie,” was charged due to her role as essentially the chief financial officer of the operation.
Lacy Francis was accused of ensuring city contracts Marc Campbell, owner of Mishawaka-based Pro-Form Pipe Lining Co. Campbell’s company would then over-charge for the work and include the Francises in a share of the profits. Mildred Francis was in charge, according to police, of handling the proceeds of the scam for all persons involved.
The kickback scheme was exposed by a former employee of Pro Form who contacted the Clerk-Treasurer of Warsaw.
During the process of investigating the crimes, financial assets belonging to the Francises were frozen and in July of 2017, the couple, who were divorced in October, 2017, forfeited more than $70,000, which was the result of the sale of a Gulfport, Fla. condominium.