Whatever the case, Kunter's got a lot of paying back to do -- and not only to the man who gave him his name.
According to the Vail Daily, Kunter's father had served with distinction as treasurer of the Vail-Eagle Valley Rotary Club, and would still be doing so if he hadn't resigned his post a few years back after being stricken with Parkinson's disease.
So the Rotarians turned to the younger Kunter, thinking that he must be a chip off the old block. But he turned out to be a blockhead who apparently had a hard time grasping the slogan of the club: "Service Before Self."
Kunter was an accountant by trade, even teaching the subject at Colorado Mountain College; his students may want to double-check some of the techniques he recommended just in case. In addition to keeping the books for the Rotary Club, he also worked with Crystal Oil and Gas beginning in 2011.Two years earlier, however, Kunter had already begun chiseling the club, by writing checks from its account to fictional companies such as HYK Enterprises LLC.
How much did he steal from the organization? The estimate is $136,033.
He pulled a similar stunt with Crystal Oil and Gas. He wrote a check for more than $39,000 to a bogus outfit dubbed Apache Enterprises Ltd., then did so again for a similar amount. That got the attention of his supervisors, who stopped payment on check number two and called the Basalt Police Department.
By then, Kunter had siphoned off $87,940.36 from Crystal Oil, but he didn't immediately admit his guilt. Far from it: He reportedly filed complaints against the company with the Colorado Department of Labor and the California Department of Labor.
The best defense is a good offense? Not necessarily. He eventually pleaded guilty to embezzlement and has now been sentenced to eight years in community corrections, not prison. The idea? He'll be able to work during this time, with the proceeds of his toil going to his victims.
Even if he makes everyone whole, it's tough to imagine his father being filled with pride over this episode, which has cast a shadow over the proud Kunter name.
Here's a larger look at Kunter's booking photo.
More from our Schmuck of the Week archive: "Patrick Schumacher makes schmucky decision to ride his horse to Utah -- drunk."