Former Gallia County village fiscal officer repays finding for recovery of $7,047 in mishandled sewer fee receipts

A former fiscal officer has repaid $7,047 in customer sewer receipts that were collected but not deposited into the accounts of the Village of Centerville in Gallia County, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.

The finding for recovery against David House was included in a special audit conducted by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) after auditors found discrepancies in village collections and deposits.

Details of the special audit are included in a report released Thursday and available online (ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx).

SIU reviewed the village’s financial records from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2021, and determined that House allegedly failed to deposit $7,047 in cash, check and other unidentified payment receipts. He served as fiscal officer for more than 20 years and was solely responsible for the collection and deposits of village sewer fees.

While the finding for recovery was issued against and repaid by House, SIU determined there was insufficient evidence to meet the standards for recommending criminal charges against him.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 115 convictions resulting in more than $8.2 million in restitution.) The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).