CRAWFORD – An audit of the Town of Crawford Clerk’s Office found the former clerk did not properly account for, report, deposit, record and remit all collections to the appropriate parties in a timely and accurate manner.
As a result of audit and investigation by the State Comptroller’s Office, the former clerk pled guilty to grand larceny and tampering with public records, and she agreed to pay $21,296 in restitution before sentencing.
In August 2020, the former clerk was sentenced to five years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service.
The audit covered the period of January 1, 2014 through March 31, 2019.
State officials said conditions contributing to the theft of money and its concealment included a lack of adequate controls and oversight, lack of an annual town board audit, inadequate segregation of duties; the lack of compensating controls; lack of monthly bank reconciliations and accountabilities; and maintenance of inadequate cash collection records.
The comptroller’s office said the clerk should deposit all collections intact and in a timely manner; ensure monthly collections are recorded, reported and remitted accurately and in a timely manner; and the town board should perform, or obtain, a comprehensive annual audit of the clerk’s records.
Town officials generally agreed with the state findings and indicated they have begun to initiate corrective action.
The full audit report may be found here.
