| On Monday, a former bookkeeper for the Lizemore Volunteer Fire Department in Clay County, plead guilty to the felony charges of forgery and falsifying accounts.
According to the State Auditor. Christian Nova Elliott was Indicted by a Clay County Grand Jury in November of last year.
Elliott faces 1 to 10 years on each count at a sentencing hearing set for March 30, 2021 before Circuit Judge Richard Facemire.
As part of her plea agreement, Elliott also agreed to pay restitution of $8,896.34 to the State, as well as $2,782.37 to the fire department.
When people are in positions of trust with public funds, they must be held accountable when they breach that trust, State Auditor, J.B. McCuskey said. McCuskey has made it a priority to prosecute crimes of fraud, and he has found a more efficient way to do it.
Working together - every taxpayer to report fraud when it occurs will have an enormous deterrent effect on this systemic problem. When you write that check for a speeding ticket, or you pay your trash bill, or you put money in that fire department fundraiser, you should expect that it is going to provide the service you paid for and not lining someones pocket because they were allowed access to those funds, McCuskey said.
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