A recent case involves a 59-year-old woman who bonded out of jail on a recent Tuesday morning after having been arrested and charged with criminal activity. The woman is accused of white collar crime that allegedly victimized taxpayers in Florida. Law enforcement agents say that they placed the woman under arrest for suspicion of an organized scheme to defraud others.
The woman, now out of jail pending further proceedings, is a former clerk for the city of Hampton. The accusations against her allege that she stole funds while working for the city. Investigators say that they have been researching the case since 2014. Among the other issues revealed in the investigation, state auditors claim that they discovered several thousand taxpayer dollars missing from city funds. Authorities believe that the woman is responsible for the apparent theft.
An audit report suggests that the woman failed to deposit paid water bills. It is reported that almost $20,000 remains missing at this time. The woman is also alleged to have overpaid herself by $8,000, writing personal checks from city bank accounts. This is not the first time that corruption has been reported in the small Florida city. It is not yet known whether further charges will be filed in this case.
Regardless of circumstances leading to an arrest or charges filed for white collar crime in Florida, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty under the law. It is typically a prudent decision to contact an experienced criminal lawyer after one has been arrested or charged with a crime. Doing so can help one determine what options are available in preparing to face those charges in court.
Source: news4jax.com, “Ex-city clerk out of jail, charged with stealing taxpayer dollars“, Vic Micolucci, Aug. 26, 2015
