November 17, 2005

Contact: Lynn Kimbrough, 720-913-9025 

INDICTMENT CHARGES TWO WITH EMBEZZLEMENT

A Denver Grand Jury has returned an indictment today charging a current and former employee of the University of Colorado at Denver with embezzlement and official misconduct.  The charges allege that they arranged illegal severance payments for two former “at-will” employees who were not eligible for severance pay.

Margaret “Midge” Cozzens (DOB: 02-02-41) and Mary Lou Fenili (DOB: 07-07-45) are each charged by indictment with one count of embezzlement of public property (F5), conspiracy to commit embezzlement (F6) and first-degree official misconduct (M2).  The charges allege that they knowingly crafted a series of illegal payments for two former workers in an effort to circumvent both state law and University oversight.

The payments came under suspicion by the University of Colorado during a comprehensive financial review.  University officials launched an immediate investigation and the findings were forwarded to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.  The investigation was taken into the Denver Grand Jury in June, resulting in today’s indictment.  The two former workers who received the payments do not face criminal charges but face a civil obligation to repay the money.

Court dates for Cozzens and Fenili will be set within in the next couple of weeks.

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