Cudahy woman sentenced in Honor Flight felony theft

 

MILWAUKEE, (CBS 58) -- A Cudahy woman accused of stealing nearly $100,000 intended for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight nonprofit had a plea and sentencing hearing on Friday afternoon at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Joni Nogay, 60, admitted to stealing from her own organization called "We Run-They Fly," which claimed it raised money for Honor Flights. The criminal complaint states that she was the only one with access to the financial accounts.

The criminal complaint states she was once a volunteer for Stars and Stripes Honor Flight—a free trip to Washington DC to see the war memorials and experience a day of thanks.

Nogay was often seen posing with big donation checks given at fundraising events and only $20,000 actually went to the nonprofit. The rest was spent for personal reasons like groceries, spa days, credit cards and Amazon.

The judge ordered Nogay to five years in prison and then stayed that term. He then sentenced her to three years of probation, along with four months in jail.

The judge said the priority should be restitution – to pay back over $100,000 to donors, plus about $82,000 to Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.