Former Jackson County deputy tax collector arrested in car tag scheme
Former Jackson County deputy tax collector Colleen Ladnier has been arrested by special agents from the State Auditor’s office after she was indicted for embezzlement by a grand jury.
Ladnier is accused of intentionally overcharging Jackson County residents as they paid for vehicle license tags, according to State Auditor Shad White.
She allegedly embezzled the extra money she collected by using a permanent marker to obscure payment amounts on customer receipts and conceal her embezzlement scheme.
Jackson County officials called State Auditor’s office when security camera footage showed Ladnier stuffing cash she had collected into her shirt.
Ladnier surrendered to special agents in Jackson County on Monday. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison or $5,000 in fines.
“The Office of the State Auditor is committed to investigating and stopping this sort of theft,” White said in a statement. “Every local government office needs to put into place internal controls or cameras to make sure this kind of theft is detected and stopped quickly.”
