RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) - The director of Madison County’s emergency management agency resigned Thursday after more than $340,000 went missing on his watch.
Carl Richards had been suspended Tuesday after an internal audit revealed theft from a federally funded emergency preparedness program dating back to 2006, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported (https://bit.ly/1PzjszU).
The audit was spurred by the arrest this month of a former finance officer for the agency, county Judge-Executive Reagan Taylor said. Tamara Phelps, 54, has been accused of forging Richards’ signature to steal nearly $34,000 in property and services from the agency. That figure was based on a single fiscal year; further investigation found the amount of money involved to be 10 times that.
Taylor said there is no evidence that Richards or any other employee was involved in the thefts.
“You’re talking about something that’s been going on since ’06, over nine years,” Taylor said. “It might sound harsh, but it’s not going to be tolerated.”
The documentation of the internal audit has since been turned over to Kentucky State Police, Taylor said. He has asked the state auditor to conduct a full county audit, which will probably take six to seven months.
During Richards’ time as emergency management director, he had overseen the installation of an $18 million digital radio system for public safety.
No interim emergency management director has been appointed.
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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, https://www.kentucky.com
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