Former Food Bank Employee Cleared of Felony Theft Charges

A former worker at Second Harvest was recently acquitted of three charges of felony theft in connection with the disappearance of over $300,000 of the food bank’s money.

Shuntell Whittaker-Tucker, who worked at Second Harvest for 16 years, was accused of stealing $306,000 from 1998 to 2005. Had she been convicted, she would have faced up to 35 years in prison and a fine of up to $45,000.

Whittaker-Tucker’s non-jury trial was presided over by Judge Thomas Donegan of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. She was represented by defense attorney Michael Hart of the Milwaukee criminal law firm Hart Powell, S.C..

In ruling for the defendant, Judge Donegan held that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Whittaker-Tucker was guilty of stealing the money, or that she was the only person who could have committed the crime.

Instead, Donegan blamed Second Harvest’s lackluster, vague guidelines on handling money and inadequate systems of accountability.

While a spokesperson for Second Harvest expressed disappointment with the “not guilty” verdict, Whittaker-Tucker’s attorney, Michael Hart, said that his client was pleased with the outcome, and that the real crime was the attack on her “good name and reputation.”

About Hart Powell, S.C.

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hart Powell, S.C. is a criminal defense law firm that has been defending its clients’ rights since 1993. Call (414) 271-9595 to learn more about our attorneys and our track record of success.