COLUMBUS – A finding for recovery of $89,570 was issued Thursday against the former fiscal officer for the Village of Unionville Center, who was convicted of stealing more than $81,000 from the Union County community, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.

Christa Williams pleaded guilty in December 2022 to felony counts of theft in office and tampering with records and was sentenced in February 2023 to five years of community control and ordered to pay restitution for the funds that were stolen and audit costs.

Details about her crimes are included in a special audit and regular audit of the village, both available online at (ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx).

Williams came to the attention of the Auditor of State’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) during the summer of 2020 when, during a regular review of the village’s finances, auditors had difficulties obtaining records from her. 

SIU determined Williams, who served as fiscal officer from January 2016 through her firing in September 2020, wrote checks to herself above and beyond her contracted annual salary and to her husband, none of which were for a proper public purpose.

Williams paid $55,000 in restitution earlier this year, on the day she was sentenced. Her bonding company, which was jointly and severally liable for repayment, paid $15,984 in restitution in November 2022.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office handled prosecution of the case.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 112 convictions resulting in more than $8.8 million in restitution (see?Map of SIU Convictions?since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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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 5,900 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.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov