Former fiscal officer repays mishandled sewer fees in Ohio's Gallia County
COLUMBUS, Ohio (UI) — A former fiscal officer has reimbursed $7,047 in sewer receipts collected from customers but not deposited into the Village of Centerville's accounts in Gallia County, as announced by Auditor of State Keith Faber.
The discovery of the discrepancy was made during a special audit carried out by the Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), prompting the inclusion of the recovery finding against David House. The SIU reviewed the financial records of the village spanning from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021.
The audit revealed that House had neglected to deposit $7,047 from various sources including cash, checks, and other unidentified payments. With over two decades of service, House had the sole responsibility for collecting and depositing the village's sewer fees.
While the recovery finding was directed towards House and subsequently repaid, the SIU concluded that there was insufficient evidence to warrant recommending criminal charges against him.
Starting in 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has achieved 115 convictions, culminating in over $8.2 million in restitutions (view the Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives numerous tips regarding suspected fraudulent activities annually.
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