Mary Huttlinger, the former executive director of the Middletown Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been charged with theft and abuse of a debit card after auditors and state investigators raised concerns about the now-defunct nonprofit. Court documents accuse Huttlinger of making 31 illicit transactions totaling $2,819.39 between August 2022 and October 2023, purportedly after the agency had discontinued operations. She has been summoned for arraignment on June 2, 2026.
According to FOX19, fraud investigator John Uhl filed the accusations last Tuesday with the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit. They claim Huttlinger kept the bureau’s debit card and used it to make transactions from suppliers such as Amazon, Apple, Canva, and Purrfect Potion. The records indicate that the trades occurred between August 2022 and October 2023 and totaled around $2,819.39.
The Auditor of State’s December 2025 report detailed major recordkeeping and internal-control deficiencies at the Middletown bureau, such as missing invoices, a lack of monthly bank-to-book reconciliations, and trustees refusing to make required written representations. According to the report, the board voted to dissolve the bureau on August 29, 2022, and the Ohio Secretary of State canceled the entity on May 2, 2023. The bureau’s final cash balance of $7,176 was later disbursed as $5,058 unclassified and $2,118 to the city, as detailed by the auditor of state.
Huttlinger formerly served as executive director of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful but was placed on paid leave in 2017 after municipal officials questioned the organization’s billing procedures. According to WCPO, local reporting and a city audit eventually revealed that the nonprofit had billed the city for projects that were never completed and that Huttlinger had been overpaid $3,924.96 for misreported leave.
Huttlinger left the visitors bureau to work as the government affairs director for the REALTOR® Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, where she is listed on the organization’s staff page. When reached by reporters, Huttlinger stated that she was “tied up in meetings” and would respond later. A representative for the auditor’s office told FOX19 that the investigation is still ongoing and that a news release is being prepared.
The Clermont County accusations are described as misdemeanor counts in court documents, and Huttlinger is due to be arraigned on June 2. Ohio law prohibits credit card fraud and explains when a series of illegal transactions can be elevated based on cumulative value; see Ohio Revised Code sections 2913.21 and 2913.02 for the relevant provisions. According to the agency’s overview, the probe is being handled by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit, which consists of forensic auditors, investigators, and attorneys who can refer cases to prosecutors.
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