Former Beach aquarium official says he stole funds

Posted to: Crime Virginia Beach
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By Duane Bourne
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 22, 2008

A former Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation official admitted today to stealing more than $176,000 from the facility since 2003.

John Killinger, 34, of the 400 block of Kingswood Place, pleaded guilty to embezzlement. He told a judge that he intends to pay a portion of the embezzled funds from personal loans and has a consulting job in western Virginia.

The former director of operations and sales, according to a search warrant affidavit, used Aquarium and Marine Science Foundation credit cards to buy more than 20 computers and components, gasoline, airline tickets and a limousine rental in New York.

Killinger will be sentenced in June.

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I Agee with WatchDog!

Submitted by bchcat1124 on Wed, 04/23/2008 at 6:40 am.

If I had given my personal money I would feel as though they stole from me personally. Lock him up and let him work for free until he pays his restitution.

It is these kind of criminals.........

Submitted by Watch.Dog on Tue, 04/22/2008 at 1:02 pm.

that are despicable. Some of the money he stole was my money that I gave to the Aquarium. I don't have that much to give away so I look at it as if he stole it from me personally. Prison time will not cure him, but having to work for free until paying the money back will, as well as having to work a second job to live on. Additionally, he should be made to wear a striped suit at his "free work" job to indicate his criminality; it would serve as an embarrassment to him and a warning to others. Further, keep the media on him on a weekly basis and broadcast it as a public service and a deterrent to crime. That is what the media ought to be doing anyway to serve the public interest. Aaarrrrgggghhhh!

What kind of sentence does he expect

Submitted by nicholasm44421 on Tue, 04/22/2008 at 11:45 am.

He says he has a job as a consultant. Hope he can do it from prison. This case bears watching as he will probably get off with probabtion - at least he seems to think so. Watch this white collar crime go unpunished expect for a slap on the hand.