Audit: Former Montgomery County deputy trustee stole funds from taxpayers

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A former deputy clerk with the Montgomery County Trustee’s Office admitted to stealing more than $12,000 from taxpayers.

According to an audit released by the TN Comptroller’s Office, the deputy clerk, who was not named in a press release, voided nine property tax receipts totaling $12,461 and stole the cash between January 25, 2016 and December 22, 2017.

The theft was first discovered by the Trustee’s Office on December 22, 2017 when a taxpayer visited the office to verify that his 2017 property tax payment had been received; however, the property taxes were not reflected as paid. The taxpayer then presented a receipt showing his payment had been made with cash.

The audit says that to conceal the thefts, the deputy clerk temporarily changed the mailing address for these properties to her personal address, so any delinquent tax notices would be mailed to her instead of the taxpayer.

The employee was fired after admitting to the theft. The Trustee’s Office also contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The Comptroller’s Office has confirmed the entire $12,461 has been repaid to the Trustee’s Office. The former deputy clerk repaid $3,749 and Montgomery County Trustee Brenda Radford paid $8,712 from her personal funds to liquidate the cash shortage.

“The Trustee’s Office should ensure that adequate steps are taken to safeguard taxpayer money within the office,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said in a press release. “This includes carefully scrutinizing voided transactions and reviewing software audit logs. I am pleased to note the Trustee has indicated these changes have been made.”

If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of public money in Tennessee, call the Comptroller’s toll-free hotline at
(800) 232-5454, or file a report online at: www.comptroller.tn.gov/hotline.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story used a photo of County Trustee Brenda Radford as the lead image. The deputy clerk who has been accused of theft is unnamed and no photo of the individual is currently available.