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Local man to spend 10 years in prison after stealing from a local nonprofit

A local man will spend the next 10 years in prison after he plead guilty to organized fraud, money laundering and criminal use of personal ID through the local nonprofit, The Jacksonville Public Libraries Foundation.

An arrest warrant charges Michael Self, who was a director with the organization, with taking $280,000 over a span of almost two years.

He used the money to pay for "vacations, concert tickets, restaurant tabs, student loan payments, insurance premiums, auto repairs, doctor co-pays, and utility payments.”

The foundation, which raises money to be used for programs and services associated with Jacksonville public libraries, hired a forensic accountant who found hundreds of thousands of dollars missing.

The chair of that organization, Kathy Mcilvaine, said this came as a shock. “For all of us, it was like a kick in the gut. Quite frankly, we didn’t expect it. We trusted him.” Mcilvaine said.

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The warrant also said he wired $20,175 from an account for the closing of the purchase of his primary residence.

Mcilvaine says she even talked to Self about fundraising in the weeks before his arrest.

“It’s easy to be fooled, so don’t take the appearance that you like him the fact he seems to be onboard.”

The organization has hundreds of donors, and while the money is insured, they want donors to know they have taken steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

There were no city monies involved; the organization is separate.

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