Wife of ex-Oregon prison food manager denied PERS money
Tuesday, August 7, 2007 10:00 AM PDT
SALEM (AP) — The wife of a former state prison food manager at the center of a bribery scandal made an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw money from her husband’s Public Employees Retirement System account, according to a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office.
Karen Monem’s request late last month came a day after a judge had signed a temporary restraining order that barred the transfer of money to her or her husband from any bank account or investment fund in which they had an interest, The Register-Guard newspaper of Eugene reported.
As a result, Monem’s request was denied, said Stephanie Soden, the spokeswoman. Karen and Fred Monem were charged with taking more than $1 million in bribes from discount food wholesalers in return for favorable business deals with the state Department of Corrections.
Fred Monem, the former prison food manager, has been a fugitive since fleeing Oregon before federal criminal charges had been filed against him. Karen Monem has been charged with conspiracy for participating in the alleged scheme.
Soden credited alert employees at a PERS office for stopping Karen Monem from withdrawing the money. ‘‘They recognized her and called us,’’ she said.
The restraining order was signed the same day Myers filed a racketeering lawsuit against the Monems in Marion County Circuit Court.
The suit sought a $1.13 million judgment against the Salem couple.
Before Fred Monem’s flight, he had sold a boat for $25,000 and withdrawn $30,000 from their bank accounts, according to court papers.
