Ex-Decatur treasurer charged
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/decatur/News/2814/
BENTONVILLE ó The former treasurer for the Decatur School District was formally charged Friday with stealing thousands of dollars from the school district.
Tina LaDawn Murray, 34, is charged with theft of property, a class B felony, which is punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years.
Deputy Prosecutor A. J. Anglin signed the criminal information accusing Murray of stealing the money from Aug. 14, 2006, to May 22, 2008.
Murray resigned from her position in May after discrepancies in the school districtís financial situation came to light.
She is suspected of illegally obtaining $ 41, 471 from the school district.
Suspended Decatur Superintendent David Smith met with Decatur Police Chief Terry Luker on June 3 to report allegations that Murray had forged several school-district payroll checks made payable to herself, according to an affidavit of probable cause in the case.
The situation came to light after Decatur State Bank contacted the school district concerning its general-fund account containing a negative balance. School-district financial records indicated there was no negative balance, the affidavit states.
Decatur police, the Arkansas Division of Legislative Audit and the Benton County Prosecuting Attorneyís Office launched an investigation into the school districtís financial situation.
On June 6, Decatur police officer Larry Fiedorowicz contacted Carrie Forrest, the manager of American Check Cashers in Bentonville. Forrest gave the officer seven dates, starting in 2007 and continuing into this year, on which Murray cashed school-district payroll checks, according to court documents.
Kandi Brown, another employee at the check-cashing business, told police Murray brought the first payroll check to the business in July 2007. Brown contacted Decatur State Bank and the school district to verify the check and Murrayís employment, the affidavit states.
Brown told police Murray said the payroll checks were bonus checks, according to court documents.
Police also reviewed Murrayís bank records and believe she deposited unauthorized payroll checks into her account, the affidavit states. She is also accused of cashing several checks at Decatur State Bank, according to the affidavit.
Murray is accused of issuing herself 38 manually generated unauthorized and undocumented payroll checks totaling $ 38, 652 from July 1, 2006, through May 28 of this year. She is also accused of paying herself $ 3, 819 in excess salary payments, court documents reflect.
Murray was arrested Aug. 1 and was later released from the Benton County Jail after posting $ 5, 000 bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for 8: 30 a. m., Sept. 8, in Circuit Judge David Clingerís court.
The Arkansas Board of Education dissolved the Decatur School Board and appointed Leroy Ortman as superintendent of the school district last week.