Suicide Prevents Guilty Plea

MADISON, Wis.-The former CEO of Rapids Municipal CU was found dead inside his car last Monday night, an apparent suicide, hours after he missed a court hearing where he was scheduled to plead guilty to embezzling $645,000 from the now-defunct CU. David Henke failed to appear for a plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Madison, so the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. Officers went to the 51-year-old former CU executive's home and found Henke dead inside the vehicle, police said. The county coroner ruled the death a suicide. Henke was charged with depositing CU funds into members' dormant accounts then draining the funds and also converting CDs held by deceased members for his own use. The scheme was only uncovered after the $8-million CU that served employees of the city of Wisconsin Rapids, Riverview Hospital, Family Heritage Nursing Home and the Wisconsin Rapids School District, was merged into Bull's Eye CU.