Columbus – Marietta City Schools is out more than $145,000 due to a former assistant treasurer who wrote 213 illegal checks to herself, according to an audit of the district released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost.
 
“A theft of this magnitude is appalling,” Auditor Yost said.  “While the controls should have been in place to prevent this, the legal and moral obligations to keep your fingers off of taxpayer dollars should have prevailed.  I look to the court system to apply the full weight of the law in this case.”
 
The Marietta City School District uses the EDGE Check Writing System to write on-demand checks.  From June 7, 2007 through October 1, 2012, the district did not have adequate controls in place over the system, which allowed checks to be written without being recorded into the district’s accounting system.  During this period, Barbara Mincks was employed as the assistant treasurer for the district and she was responsible for writing on-demand checks and posting receipts.
 
A review of the district’s bank statements from July 2006 through October 2012 found 213 on-demand checks written on the district’s EDGE Check Writing System made out to Barbara Mincks that did not agree to the district’s accounting records.  These checks totaled $145,183, and a finding for recovery in that amount was issued against Mincks.
 
Criminal charges against Mincks are pending and a trial is expected to start in February.  The district has since implemented changes to the process of cutting checks and reconciling accounts to ensure proper oversight.
 
A full copy of this audit may be accessed online.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,600 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Carrie Bartunek
Press Secretary
614-644-1111