Hogans plead guilty to federal charges
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
FRANKFORT — Lawrence County Attorney Mike Hogan and his wife and legal secretary, Joy M. Hogan, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to wire fraud.
Michael Hogan also pleaded guilty to federal program theft. Both are scheduled for sentencing on July 6.
“On the wire fraud charges, they face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000 or twice the amount of gain or loss,” a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tuesday. “On the federal program theft charges, Michael Hogan faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.”
Rearraignment was originally scheduled for Monday, but Michael Hogan’s attorney, Jarrod Beck of Lexington, filed a motion March 23 asking that it be reset due to a scheduling conflict he had on March 28, to which Tatenhove responded by changing it to Tuesday, March 29.
In their indictments, Joy Hogan was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Michael Hogan was charged with nine counts of wire fraud and five counts of federal program theft.
According to the Hogans’ plea agreements, the Hogans conspired with each other to commit wire fraud by issuing checks from a second delinquent tax account for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office, the statements for which went to their personal residence.
Michael Hogan and Joy Hogan would routinely prepare “bonus” checks issued to Joy Hogan and signed by Michael Hogan paid with delinquent tax funds that should have been used on operating expenses for the Lawrence County Attorney’s Office, the plea agreements said.
The Hogans deposited the checks into her personal account and the couple’s joint accounts and spent the funds on personal expenses, the agreement said. Michael Hogan admitted he personally benefitted from the payments and knew some of the payments were not reasonable in amount, nor beneficial to the public, the plea agreement said.
According to the indictment, between March 8, 2013, and April 30, 2020, Michael Hogan paid his wife more than $365,000 from the Lawrence County delinquent tax account.
Michael Hogan also admitted to defrauding the Lawrence County Child Support Enforcement Office, part of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the plea agreement said.
According to the plea agreement, Michael Hogan billed the program for more hours than he actually worked.
As part of the plea agreement, Michael Hogan agreed to resign as the Lawrence County attorney.
“Whenever public officials turn to self-interests and use taxpayer money for their personal benefit, it causes real damage,” U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV said. “Mr. Hogan was an elected County Attorney, responsible for upholding the law, yet, he has now admitted to betraying that public trust and to taking a significant amount of public money for the benefit of he and his wife. Not only was this conduct a theft of public funds, but it also dangerously erodes the public’s faith in government officials and law enforcement. We appreciate the efforts of our dedicated law enforcement partners, without whom this prosecution would not have been possible.”
The Hogans’ “blatant disregard for properly handling tax payers’ hard-earned money eroded the public’s trust in government,” Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office said.
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to regain that trust by identifying and investigating those in power who choose to put their own financial gain above those they serve,” Cohen said.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Smith and James Chapman.