News

Pickaway County -

Auditor of State Mary Taylor today released the 2007 audit report of Pickaway County.  The audit findings show that a former Sheriff’s office employee stole $18,659 from the office.  Auditors worked with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s office who conducted an internal investigation to uncover the theft of funds.

 “I want to commend the Pickaway County Sheriff’s office for making sure that public funds are spent legally and appropriately and I am proud our office was able to assist in the investigation,” said Taylor.  “Our audit staff provides a unique service to public entities in Ohio.  Helping local officials investigate and prosecute allegations of fraud is a major part of my commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars.” 

The audit reveals that Corporal Karen Brown collected, but did not deposit, the following funds:

• $4,650 from the Inmate Trust Fund
• $12,411 from Webcheck® fees
• $1,598 from Concealed Carry Weapon fees

Brown pled guilty to the charge of theft in office and was sentenced to three years in prison on September 24, 2008.  The $18,659 was repaid prior to her sentencing.

As the state’s chief taxpayer watchdog, Taylor is committed to rooting out fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.  Special audits are an important part of fulfilling this mission.  A special audit targets a specific area of an organization and is initiated to review allegations of fraud or theft.  The Auditor of State’s office is currently conducting 17 special audits throughout the state.

A full copy of the audit is available online at http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/Reports/2008/Pickaway_County_Financial_Condition_07-Pickaway.pdf

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The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).  Since taking office in January 2007, Taylor has identified more than $16.4 million in public funds that were spent illegally and must be repaid.