Kansas City, Missouri – A veteran Kansas City, Mo., police officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly misappropriating over $300,000 in donations from an anti-crime charity he operated.
Long-Standing Scheme Uncovered
Aaron Wayne McKie, 46, faces a 16-count indictment for his actions involving the charity Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs, where he served as president from 2009 to 2023. McKie, who has been with the Kansas City Police Department since April 2000, was arrested following the unsealing of the indictment on Tuesday, April 23.
The indictment outlines a calculated scheme to defraud MACF and its benefactors starting in July 2009, which continued until October 2023. Over this period, donors contributed $387,620 in cash to MACF, not counting in-kind donations.
According to the indictment, McKie spent at least $320,060 of these funds for his personal use, exploiting the trust placed in him by numerous individuals and businesses.
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Misuse of Funds Detailed
The primary fundraising activity for MACF was the annual “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament,” which attracted significant contributions from the community, both monetary and in-kind, under the premise of funding anti-crime initiatives and training. However, contrary to the promotional claims that the proceeds would support free seminars for rental property owners and training for police officers, the funds were largely channeled into McKie’s personal expenditures. The indictment reveals that the Kansas City Police Department already covered the salaries and expenses of officers providing such training, further diminishing the supposed need for these funds.
Detailed in the indictment are the various personal expenses McKie allegedly covered with the charity’s funds:
- $125,989 on travel, entertainment, restaurants, and bars
- $57,278 on retail and luxury items
- $41,040 transferred to his personal accounts
- $36,874 withdrawn in cash
- $27,279 spent prior to 2016 on undisclosed items
- $23,298 on household expenses
- $8,299 towards personal tax payments
Legal Proceedings and Accountability
McKie now faces 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. It is important to note that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations at this stage. A federal trial jury will be tasked with examining the evidence presented and determining McKie’s guilt or innocence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and investigated by both the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
