Dumas Man Sentenced for Embezzling from Economic Development Corp

DUMAS, Texas (KFDA) - The Dumas Economic Development Director has been ordered to serve time in prison for embezzlement and misuse of entrusted funds.

As stated in a press release from the 69th District Attorney’s Office, Michael Running entered a plea of guilt on April 1st. He was sentenced today.

Running was ordered to serve a three-year sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division and pay a $500 fine for each count.

He faced charges for misusing the Dumas EDC’s credit card for personal expenses such as family vacations, hiring housekeepers for his home, and even paying to dispose of his deceased horse.

The last unapproved purchase was a trip to Disney World and the Bahamas with his family, costing approximately $17,000.

At first, he claimed under oath that he thought the credit card belonged to him, even though board members had previously told him to cease using the card for personal expenses.

He faced charges for issuing checks to himself from the Cowboy Classic Rodeo Association, which operates as a scholarship fund-raiser.

He confessed to taking approximately $46,000 from the organization.