News

Columbus – Based on an investigation by Auditor of State Keith Faber’s Special Investigations Unit, former Village of Junction City (Perry County) Clerk-Treasurer Randi N. Brown was indicted on February 25, 2020 on two counts of Theft in Office (F5), and two counts of Tampering with Records (F3).

“Allegations such as those contained in this indictment are very serious,” Auditor Faber said. “Ultimately, no public official ever has the right to help themselves to taxpayer dollars.”

In February 2018, the Junction City Police Chief contacted the Auditor’s office to report that village council had terminated Brown for not performing her job duties. After village council made that decision, she turned over a banker’s box of records containing approximately $84,000 in uncashed checks and numerous overdue bills and correspondence related to unpaid invoices.

The subsequent investigation by the Auditor’s Special Investigations Unit alleges that in 2017 Brown issued herself an extra payroll check and intentionally hid that fact from village council by failing to include it on a list of expenditures she submitted for approval. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Brown improperly dismissed a traffic citation issued by the village police department and collected a cash payment of $125 for another traffic citation, which was never deposited into the village’s account.

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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 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government. 

Contact:

Allie Dumski

Press Secretary

(614) -644-1111