Whitley Co. Auditor Faces Felony Charges For Theft Of More Than $100,000

Last July, Whitley Co. Auditor Jennifer McGuire stepped down from her office amid questions about items uncovered by a State Board of Accounts examination of expenditures her office made. Those findings were turned over to the county prosecutor, who has now filed three counts of felony theft and official misconduct against her.

According to the Journal-Gazette, McGuire is accused of using taxpayer money to pay for vacations, satellite television, cell phone bills, home repairs and Facebook games. The total amount of purchase and cash advances McGuire is accused of making with public dollars on county credit cards amounted to $106,413. County officials had thought two of those credit card accounts had been closed. A third credit card account had been opened at Home Depot without the knowledge of county officials.

By using credit cards in the name of the county, none of the purchases made by McGuire were subject to sales taxes. She allegedly tapped the county's redevelopment fund to pay for the purchases. She created a fake business account called the "business development district" to conceal some of the spending according to the charges.

Nearly $24,000 in charges were drawn on checks she wrote from a checking account that belonged to the Indiana County Auditors Association while she was acting as the organization's treasurer. She allegedly used checks drawn from that account as a down payment on a new Jeep, the purchase of a four-wheeler and to pay down an existing debt.

According to the Journal-Gazette, McGuire's family is prepared to make full restitution of the money she stole.