News
Lesbian Couple Pleads Innocent to Embezzlement Schemeby Kilian MelloyFriday Nov 20, 2009 A lesbian activist faces a trial for allegedly embezzling nearly $6 million from her employer, Aviva USA; her spouse, also on trial, has denied knowingly spending ill-gotten cash.
Marla Randolph Stevens--the wife of accused embezzler Phyllis Stevens--appeared in court on Nov. 18 to claim her innocence, reported the Des Moines Register in a Nov. 20 story.
Phyllis Stevens has been accused of embezzling company funds and using them to fund an extravagant lifestyle. She also has been accused by the right-wing press of contributing stolen money to GLBT equality causes and to Democratic political candidates.
The charges against Maria accompanied a new charge for conspiracy against Phyllis, who already faces 18 counts. Phyllis was arrested by the FBI last September after a fellow Aviva USA worker realized that funds intended for one destination were apparently being funneled to a different bank account in Indianapolis--where the Stevenses once lived. Before her arrest, Phyllis allegedly traveled to Indianapolis and attempted to withdraw a large sum of money from a bank there.
The Stevenses, who married in Canada in 2005, have long been advocates of marriage equality. In her blog, Marla Stevens wrote of herself and Phyllis as being a sort of marriage equality Bonnie and Clyde, with Marla boasting that, in defiance of the law, the couple had declared themselves a married couple on customs forms after their ceremony in Toronto. Moreover, "We won’t lie about our marriage on our tax forms, either, filing as married people we are," Marla wrote. "We’ve racked up about a million dollars in potential criminal fines and about a hundreds years in potential prison time under the old sentencing guidelines between us--so far."
If the two are convicted on the embezzling and conspiracy charges, they face considerably longer sentences and steeper fines: the Register said that Phyllis could get up to 319 years and be hit with $5.5 million in fines, while Marla could be sentenced to 50 years and fines exceeding $1 million.
The media has made note of the couple’s longtime activism. Advocate.com reported that at the time of her arrest, Phyllis Stevens was volunteering with the central Iowa branch of Marriage Equality USA. "We are stunned and bewildered by the news we are reading from Iowa, and due to the situation Stevens was removed as a volunteer leader," the group told Advocate.com.
Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.
|
|
|
Email
Print
Share