Former Tampa Tribune credit mgr. stole $1 million

(Editor & Publisher): "CHICAGO Charles T. Wilson, who was the Tampa Tribune's credit manager for more than 15 years, was free on bond Friday on charges he and his wife collected more than $1 million in phony payments from the paper and its Media General parent and by diverting money owed to advertisers....

• Authorities say they created a credit collection company out of their home that between August 1998 and May 2008 collected nearly $500,000 in payments from the Tribune and Media General for services they never performed. Another $571,000 was stolen by diverting checks from the paper to advertisers who were owed money, according to an account in the Tribune Friday by Elaine Silvestrini....

The Tribune reported the scheme was detected last May while Charles Wilson was on vacation. An aquarium supply business owner complained to a credit supervisor that his Tribune account had been frozen because of nonpayment. The supervisor discovered Charles Wilson, her boss, had diverted two payments from the business to himself."...

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