Columbus – A former clerk-treasurer who pleaded guilty to theft in January for stealing from the Village of Mogadore owes an additional $2,300 to the Summit County village, state auditors found. 

Lisa Grenus received a suspended 180-day jail sentence and two years of probation for the first-degree misdemeanor charge. Judge Becky Doherty of the Portage County Common Pleas Court also ordered Grenus to pay restitution of $5,400, which she did in March.

A report released today by Auditor of State Dave Yost details five missing payments totaling $8,200 that Grenus and a co-worker collected from 2011 through 2015. The payments covered the cost of cemetery plots and gaming fees for internet cafes located in the village. 

“Revenue shortages are one of the most obvious signs of trouble for local governments,” Auditor Yost said. “As is often the case, these red flags went unnoticed because officials weren’t checking to make sure that collections matched deposits.”

Auditors issued a $7,700 finding for recovery against Grenus, who was responsible for depositing the revenue into the village’s bank account. This amount includes the $5,400 she already paid to the village as restitution. 

An additional $500 finding for recovery was issued against Assistant Clerk-Treasurer Debbie Klodt stemming from a missing payment she processed in 2015 for two cemetery plots. Grenus is jointly liable for the full amount. 

A special report published by Auditor Yost in November 2017 highlights the dangers local governments face when financial processes go unchecked. According to the report, more than $3.4 million in payments received by local governments in the past decade never made it into the government accounts.

A full copy of this audit report is available 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 6,000 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.

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Beth Gianforcaro
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