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Auditor of State Investigation Leads to Indictment of Former County EMA Director

Phoenix Village Academy faces loss of funding

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Clark County -

Auditor of State Mary Taylor announced the indictment of the former director of the Clark County Emergency Management Agency on eight criminal charges. The indictment is part of an ongoing investigation led by the Auditor of State’s office into allegations of theft and potential state ethics violations.
 
On August 29, 2007, James Manken, Assistant Chief Legal Counsel with the State Auditor’s office, and two attorneys with the Ohio Ethics Commission were appointed by Clark County officials to lead the criminal investigation and prosecution.

“The Auditor of State’s office has specifically trained professional staff available to local officials for the investigation of fraud, waste and abuse of public tax dollars,” Taylor said. “I am pleased to offer this service to the taxpayers of Clark County to help protect their tax dollars.”

Former Clark County Emergency Management Agency director Bob Hupp faces eight criminal charges which include:

  • Two counts of theft in office
  • Two counts of receiving improper compensation
  • Three counts of unlawful interest in a public contract
  • One count of improper use of county assets

Additional details are unavailable at this time as the investigation continues. Copies of the indictment are available in the Clark County Clerk of Courts office.

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The Ohio Auditor of State’s office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364). Since taking office, Taylor has identified more than $13 million in public funds that were handled improperly, spent illegally or stolen and must be repaid.