If prosecutors are correct, a Schuylkill County Conservation District employee figured out a way to boost a $19-dollar-an-hour job into cushy position that netted her nearly a half-million dollar "bonus" in just seven years.

That extra money - coming from federal and perhaps grants - allowed her to pay personal expenses and treat her friends to Disney vacations and timeshare trips for herself and friends.Virginia G. Kunigonis, 54, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty last week in federal court. She admits to embezzling $452,186 between 2007 and 2014.The plea, before U.S. District Judge William W. Caldwell, was entered by the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.Prosecutors say Kunigonis worked for the Conservation District from 2007 to 2014.In that time, she allegedly forged 437 conservation district checks totaling $410,435 and chalked up another $41,751 using a district credit card.That money reportedly paid for her personal expenses.County Controller Christy D. Joy in June 2014 became aware of problems after examining the agency's 2012 financial records. The investigation was immediately turned over to the feds.But how exactly did she do it?Prosecutors describe a convoluted plan in which checks were made out, some fraudulently, to Card Member Services. Some of those checks were forged and then cashed from a Conservation District bank account.Kunigonis would then make a duplicate check to pay the company, but that money would be deducted from the county account held by the agency.Kunigonis would then receive canceled checks written to herself and create a Word document listing a company as being paid.She would then paste this over the original check made payable to herself or Card Member Services to make it appear that the checks were proper and documented without her name being attached.If you have trouble following that scam, don't worry. You're probably an honest person who'd never conceive such a scheme.It takes a conniving mind to concoct such a scam and this duplicitous scheme took some time for police to investigate and unravel.Kunigonis reportedly told police she used money from grant accounts instead of actual county money because county money was easier to trace, which would result, potentially, in her getting caught more easily.Kunigonis has promised to make restitution. She'll forfeit all of her interests in her home and relinquish her county retirement account to the government.While a plan for repayment is reassuring, the situation raises questions - how could it happen for so long without anyone catching it?Could something similar be happening elsewhere that we're not aware of?There needs to be better accountability, an overhaul in the administration and oversight of state and federal grants.A system of checks and balances should be implemented.One person should never have the power and authority to defraud taxpayers.Finally, we need integrity in the people we choose for government and quasi-government agencies.We need honest individuals in charge, not con artists.By Donald R. Serfass |

dserfass@tnonline.com