The extradition process has begun for the former controller for a Cincinnati country club accused of stealing nearly $900,000 in 2023 before fleeing to Mexico, according to a report on Tuesday.
Kinley Lee, 28, and a woman described in court documents as his wife, 33-year-old Katherine Sulky, are believed to be living on Lake Chapala, about 300 miles west of Mexico City, in a community with other expatriates.
Lee is wanted in the U.S. and has been ordered, along with Sulky, to pay more than $4 million, but he has been living in Mexico as a temporary resident and helped open a restaurant there, according to the country club’s attorney.
Coldstream Country Club sued Lee and Sulky in December 2023, soon after the alleged theft was discovered. The couple had already fled to Mexico at that point, documents say.
On Tuesday, WKRC-TV reported that the Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Andy Berghausen indicated the extradition process is ongoing, though it will take some time to engage with federal authorities.
“We’ve been engaged in that process with the sheriff’s office and the various federal agencies. We’re confident that things are moving forward and progressing to try to get all the necessary paperwork and things in place to bring him back,” Berghausen told the station.
Lee worked for the country club as its controller for less than a year, but during that time, according to court documents, he and Sulky transferred Coldstream’s money to accounts they controlled. A former Coldstream official, in an affidavit, said Lee also “manipulated wage and reimbursement payments to himself,” significantly increasing his salary.
Katherine Sulky and Kinley Lee in an undated photo.
Lee is alleged to have gambled away a lot of the money.
Last year, the Hamilton County judge who is overseeing the civil suit found that Lee and Sulky together stole $871,688 from Coldstream.
Under Ohio law, the country club is owed triple damages for the theft in addition to punitive and other damages, making the total for both Lee and Sulky nearly $4 million. That amount also accrues interest until it’s paid. Lee also has been ordered to pay a separate $79,000 judgement.
Who is Kinley Lee?
Lee, a native of Clyde, Texas, attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello and was a star golfer there, according to the university’s website. He was scheduled to graduate in 2019.
He began his job as controller for Coldstream in February 2023. His annual salary was $95,000.
Because of his job, he had complete access to the country club’s financial information, bank accounts, as well as a country club Visa card.
Mexican temporary resident identification card for Kinley Lee.
The former Coldstream official also said in the affidavit that Lee gave Sulky access to the club’s financial information and that Sulky spent “a lot of time” in his office.
The affidavit says the couple bought a 2022 Kia SUV for nearly $50,000 using a cashier’s check. Nearly all of the money in the account had been stolen from Coldstream, according to the affidavit.
Lee and Sulky took the SUV as well as a 2012 Mercedes-Benz to Mexico, according to the affidavit.
Court documents say Lee and Sulky carefully planned how they would flee to Mexico with the money they stole from Coldstream, closing all their bank accounts and other financial accounts, as well as selling and transferring assets. He told the country club that he and his wife were vacationing in Mexico.
Their departure was timed to avoid an audit that would have uncovered the theft, the documents say.
The Enquirer reached out to Lee and Sulky through email addresses they previously used. Neither responded.
‘He’s never safe’
Christopher McDowell, an attorney for Coldstream, said earlier this year that justice will be served – eventually.
The victim in the case, Coldstream Country Club, is a corporate entity that will exist long into the future.
And the $4 million judgment, with accruing interest, can’t be discharged through bankruptcy, McDowell said.
The arrest warrant for Lee means if he shows up at any port of entry in the U.S., he will be arrested. If Lee is convicted, McDowell said he will ask for a lengthy prison sentence.
“It’s just a matter of time,” McDowell said. “He’s never safe.”
(Editor’s note: Much of this story appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer in August.)
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Former Ohio golf pro stole $900K, skipped to Mexico. Will he be caught?