State audit uncovers more than $145,000 theft by former assistant treasurer
Marietta City Schools is out more than $145,000 due to a former assistant treasurer who wrote 213 illegal checks to herself, according to an audit of the district released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.
“A theft of this magnitude is appalling,” Auditor Yost said.
“While the controls should have been in place to prevent this, the legal and moral obligations to keep your fingers off of taxpayer dollars should have prevailed. I look to the court system to apply the full weight of the law in this case.”
The Marietta City School District uses the EDGE Check Writing System to write on-demand checks.
From June 7, 2007 through October 1, 2012, the district did not have adequate controls in place over the system, which allowed checks to be written without being recorded into the district’s accounting system.
During this period, Barbara Mincks was employed as the assistant treasurer for the district and she was responsible for writing on-demand checks and posting receipts.
A review of the district’s bank statements from July 2006 through October 2012 found 213 on-demand checks written on the district’s EDGE Check Writing System made out to Barbara Mincks that did not agree to the district’s accounting records. These checks totaled $145,183, and a finding for recovery in that amount was issued against Mincks.
Criminal charges against Mincks are pending and a trial is expected to start in February.
The district has since implemented changes to the process of cutting checks and reconciling accounts to ensure proper oversight.
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Former Ohio police chief cited for charging family,
personal phone use to taxpayers
Former McClure, Ohio Police Chief Miguel Trevino used taxpayer dollars to pay for his daughter’s cell phone, and now owes that money to the Village of McClure (Henry County), according to an audit released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.
“The public purse is not a family affair,” Auditor Yost said. “Every public official knows you can’t use public funds for private purposes. It’s nearly your first duty to keep that distinction.”
The largest amount of the finding against the former chief was $445 for a cell phone used by the family member, with no public purpose. Another phone paid for by the village and properly used by Trevino for public purposes was found to have been charged $36 for personal, non-public purposes, including interactive voting during TV shows, content not benefiting the village and other similar expenditures.
The remainder of the finding amount, $96, was for mistaken overpayment of salary.
In addition to the lost funds charged against the former police official, the audit report identified six accounting weaknesses at the village having to do with record keeping, appropriation amounts and budget practices.
Audits with findings of missing or improperly expended public funds are referred to the county prosecutor.