An Indiana trucking company owner claims his office manager of over 20 years — along with her husband — stole more than $600,000 from his affiliated companies over a five-year period.
Toni Walter, 56, and her husband, 57-year-old Donald Walter, both of Attica, Indiana, were arrested last week following a five-month investigation by the Indiana State Police.
The probable cause affidavit states that Toni Walter was a longtime employee of Coogle Trucking and worked as the office manager and accountant for Larry Coogle’s other businesses, Coogle Truck and Trailer Sales, Larry Coogle DBA L&C, and C&C Excavating, which are referred to as Coogle Enterprises in court documents.
Toni Walter is charged with corrupt business influence, two counts of money laundering, five counts of theft — all level 5 felony counts — as well as level 6 felony counts of theft and counterfeiting.
Donald Walter Jr. is charged with corrupt business influence, two counts of money laundering, five counts of aiding, inducing or causing theft — all level 5 felony counts — as well as level 6 felony counts of aiding, inducing or causing theft and money laundering.
According to Coogle, Toni Walter “was the only employee that handled finances for the business,” the probable cause affidavit states, until she quit in August. Coogle said he never employed Don Walter.
Courtney Barber, a deputy clerk with the Benton County Circuit Court in Fowler, Indiana, told FreightWaves the Walters were released from the Benton County Jail on Saturday, a day after their arrests, on a $20,000 cash bond each. She said the couple used a bail bondsman for the remaining $20,000 surety bonds the court ordered each of them to pay as part of the terms of their conditional release.
Barber said it’s unknown at this time if the Walters have retained counsel in the criminal case.
Over a six-year period, from 2015-2021, “Toni [Walter] had reported approximately $314,089 in W-2 earnings from a Coogle enterprise,” the probable cause affidavit states. “During the same time frame, there was approximately $951,447.83 paid to either Toni or Don Walter. This equates to approximately $637,358.83 overpaid during this period.”
Although the ISP investigation dates back to 2015, it wasn’t until 2017 that significant discrepancies in the Walters’ alleged inflated income were found.
“I give credit to the detectives in the Indiana State Police for doing a great job,” Sgt. Jeremy Piers, public information officer with the Indiana State Police, told FreightWaves. “There’s a lot to look into and they went through a bunch of paperwork, including several years of finances.”
He said detectives were assisted by troopers from the ISP Lafayette Post, as well as the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Williamsport Police Department, Tippecanoe County High Tech Crimes Unit and the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.
Walters’ pricey home aroused company owner’s suspicions
Three months prior to criminal charges being filed against the Walters in Benton County Circuit Court, Coogle filed a civil suit against the couple in Warren County Circuit Court in Williamsport, Indiana.
According to court documents, Coogle stated that over the course of the past year, he “made observations that led [him] to believe the Walters were living beyond their financial means.”
In 2021, Coogle sold a piece of land to the Walters on South River Road, where they built a house, less than a mile from Coogle and his wife’s home in Attica. Zillow estimates the Walters’ property value at over $361,000.
“Being familiar with [the Walters] over the course of nearly 20 years, and being generally aware of their financial circumstances, Coogle questioned [their] ability to afford their new home,” court filings state.
Toni Walter’s annual salary was around $50,000, he said. Don Walter worked at a car dealership in Attica.
According to the complaint filed in September, Coogle’s observations led him to meet with a bank representative used by Coogle Inc. for its business accounts.
Upon examination of the previous year’s bank statements, Coogle identified “a number of unauthorized transactions,” according to court documents.
At that time, Coogle claims he discovered that Toni Walter had been paying herself $1,500 per week instead of biweekly, doubling her salary. He alleges that numerous unauthorized checks had been issued by Toni Walter to her husband.
Coogle’s attorney, Michael D. Dean, did not respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment.
Coogle is seeking an unspecified amount in damages in the civil case against the Walters.
Attorney James F. Olds, listed as the Walters’ attorney in the civil suit, did not respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment.
Benton County Circuit Court Judge John Wright has set an initial hearing in the Walters’ case for Jan. 9.
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Patrick
I wish this same energy was present when it came to brokers and truck drivers