A former deputy clerk in the Hardin County Office of Circuit and General Sessions Courts Clerk misappropriated at least $15,008 in public money, a report released Tuesday by the Comptroller’s office shows.
The Comptroller’s investigators worked in cooperation with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on the case.
The Hardin County Grand Jury indicted the former clerk, Amber Terry, on one count of theft over $10,000 and one count of official misconduct.
Ms. Terry admitted to investigators that she took cash collected by the office and concealed her actions by replacing what she took with cash collected on subsequent days.
Ms. Terry was in a position to control all aspects of the office’s financial transactions related to the stolen funds – from collecting money to issuing receipts to making bank deposits to reconciling bank statements.
“Any time you have one person who handles all aspects of a financial transaction, it creates opportunities for mischief,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “To reduce the potential for fraud, waste and abuse, it’s always best to have more than one person involved in processing transactions. That allows people to check each other’s work and have better accountability. I commend our investigators and those from the TBI for their work on this case.”
To view the audit online, go to: http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/ia/.
If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of public money in Tennessee, you may call the Comptroller’s hot line at 800 232-5454 or fill out a report online at http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/shared/safwa.asp.