LEWISBURG — Former Marketing Director Arrested for Embezzling $870,000 from Visitors Bureau
Timothy Alan Dowhower, the former marketing director of the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau, has been charged with embezzling approximately $870,000 over the past six years. Dowhower, 43, from Mifflinburg, was arraigned on Friday in district court, facing charges of theft, criminal use of a communication facility, and unauthorized use of a credit card. He was released on $870,000 unsecured bail.
Investigations revealed that between 2018 and 2023, Dowhower allegedly paid $868,619 to Logical Destination, a company he established, for online marketing services that were never rendered. Andrew Miller, the bureau’s executive director, confirmed to investigators that no work had been done by Logical Destination.
In addition to the marketing fraud, Dowhower is accused of misusing the bureau’s credit card to make charges totaling $2,860 for a subscription to a sexually explicit website from March 2023 to April 2023. It was discovered that Logical Destination’s address coincided with Dowhower’s and that checks were mailed to a UPS store in Lewisburg.
A detailed examination of bank records showed that all deposits to the Logical Destination account came from the visitors bureau, leading to concerns over multiple cash withdrawals and various personal expenditures including Amazon purchases, dining out, and gym memberships. Additionally, payments totaling $603,874 were made to an Apple Card account.
The internal review, which led to the criminal investigation, revealed significant irregularities in vendor relationships following Dowhower’s departure earlier this year. In response to the incident, the bureau’s board treasurer, Amber Guerrero, emphasized the organization’s commitment to accountability and has since implemented stricter financial oversight measures to maintain stability.
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