Ohio fiscal officer charged with theft in office
Lead Summary
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Former village fiscal officer Jackie Prine stole $37,081 of public money from the Village of Alger according to a special audit released by Auditor of State Dave Yost. Prine pleaded guilty last week in the Hardin County Common Pleas Court to collecting but not depositing utility payments over a five-year period.
“We will not tolerate theft in public office,” Yost said. “Every last cent must be repaid to the citizens of the Village of Alger, and we provided village officials recommendations to help prevent this type of criminal activity from occurring again.”
According to the findings in the special audit, the former fiscal officer had the responsibility of collecting utility payments and depositing them in a timely fashion. A total of $37,081 of utility receipts were collected by Prine, but never deposited into the village’s bank account. Prine also falsely prepared receipts indicating that a $772 outstanding bill was paid, but this money was never deposited. Findings for recovery total $37,853.
Prine signed over $28,000 from her pension fund in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System as partial restitution. Public employees’ retirement funds are subject to forfeiture for a theft in office conviction. Sentencing for Prine is scheduled for April 19, 2011.
The Village of Alger was placed in fiscal emergency on Aug. 9, 2005.
Village of Germantown
has special audit
Auditor of State Dave Yost demanded a total of $9,876 be repaid in a special audit of the Village of Germantown. The findings for recovery to be repaid involve misspent public money and public dollars collected but not deposited over the course of a 30-month time period.
“This special audit revealed numerous findings and citations that are a direct result of lousy record keeping and mismanagement,” Auditor Yost said. “We issued Germantown a lengthy list of recommendations to clean up their procedures and provide better controls that could provide the people of this village a more responsible and accountable government.”
The special audit found that the former village utility clerk collected public money for unauthorized account adjustments and miscellaneous invoice credits totaling $7,264 and issued findings for recovery. The same employee, then as deputy finance director, also was issued findings for recovery totaling $1,142 for income tax payments collected and not deposited.
Findings for recovery also were issued against the former finance director totaling $1,470 for three separate violations. A total of $132 of public money was expended for the purchase of alcohol, $290 was expended for unauthorized personal leave, and $1,138 was collected but never deposited. The former employee repaid the village for the total amount.[[In-content Ad]]
“We will not tolerate theft in public office,” Yost said. “Every last cent must be repaid to the citizens of the Village of Alger, and we provided village officials recommendations to help prevent this type of criminal activity from occurring again.”
According to the findings in the special audit, the former fiscal officer had the responsibility of collecting utility payments and depositing them in a timely fashion. A total of $37,081 of utility receipts were collected by Prine, but never deposited into the village’s bank account. Prine also falsely prepared receipts indicating that a $772 outstanding bill was paid, but this money was never deposited. Findings for recovery total $37,853.
Prine signed over $28,000 from her pension fund in the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System as partial restitution. Public employees’ retirement funds are subject to forfeiture for a theft in office conviction. Sentencing for Prine is scheduled for April 19, 2011.
The Village of Alger was placed in fiscal emergency on Aug. 9, 2005.
Village of Germantown
has special audit
Auditor of State Dave Yost demanded a total of $9,876 be repaid in a special audit of the Village of Germantown. The findings for recovery to be repaid involve misspent public money and public dollars collected but not deposited over the course of a 30-month time period.
“This special audit revealed numerous findings and citations that are a direct result of lousy record keeping and mismanagement,” Auditor Yost said. “We issued Germantown a lengthy list of recommendations to clean up their procedures and provide better controls that could provide the people of this village a more responsible and accountable government.”
The special audit found that the former village utility clerk collected public money for unauthorized account adjustments and miscellaneous invoice credits totaling $7,264 and issued findings for recovery. The same employee, then as deputy finance director, also was issued findings for recovery totaling $1,142 for income tax payments collected and not deposited.
Findings for recovery also were issued against the former finance director totaling $1,470 for three separate violations. A total of $132 of public money was expended for the purchase of alcohol, $290 was expended for unauthorized personal leave, and $1,138 was collected but never deposited. The former employee repaid the village for the total amount.[[In-content Ad]]