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Castor Township treasurer charged with stealing
BLOOMFIELD -- A judge suspended a trustee for the Castor Township who is charged with stealing nearly $17,000 in township funds while serving as its treasurer.
Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver filed a petition for quo warranto Wednesday seeking the ouster and removal of Jacqulin Renea Bradshaw as the elected trustee, ex-officio treasurer, of the Castor Township.
Circuit Judge Robert Mayer subsequently issued a preliminary order prohibiting the 37-year-old Bloomfield woman from engaging in any activity or exercising any authority regarding her elected position.
Bradshaw, who was elected as trustee on April 4, 2017, has 10 days to respond as to why she should not be removed from office.
Bradshaw was charged Wednesday with the Class D felony of stealing, and she was to appear this morning before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield for arraignment on that charge.
She is accused of stealing, $16,831.81 in the form of 30 checks from the Castor Township in the last eight months.
On Monday, members of the Castor Township board of directors and its clerk reportedly met with Oliver and his investigator Tim McCoy regarding a large sum of money missing from one or more bank accounts belonging to the township.
The township officials reportedly presented financial documents, which indicated misappropriation of funds by the township’s elected trustee/ex-officio treasurer, identified as Bradshaw.
The officials, McCoy wrote in probable-cause affidavit, further indicated Bradshaw “has been fraudulently writing herself checks from the township’s bank accounts, without any authority or authorization by the board and without first bringing before the township a ‘warrant,’ which is commonly referred to as a voucher for such payment.”
McCoy said the officials provided him with check numbers, which indicated dates and amounts, beginning on Dec. 29 and continuing through July 27.
The checks, he said, totalled more than $16,800.
“All three members informed me that before Jackie would be allowed to write herself a check, a warrant would have to be prepared, showing the amount and reason for the check,” McCoy said.
Once approved, he said, the check would be signed by the chairman and a trustee.
McCoy said he was told none of the checks allegedly written by Bradshaw had been brought before other trustees at a meeting, and no warrants were signed allowing for the checks to be made or cashed by Bradshaw.
“According to the township members, they hold a meeting at least once a month to go over expenditures and approve payments,” McCoy said. “After noticing Jackie was taking commission money that appeared to be more than what she was actually owed, the township decided to do an internal audit.”
Upon completion of the audit, McCoy said, the officials found more checks Bradshaw allegedly had written to herself without authorization.
McCoy interviewed Bradshaw on Tuesday.
“During the interview, Jackie admitted she had been writing herself a weekly paycheck from the township’s general revenue bank account, which was not approved by the board,” McCoy said.
In addition to allegedly writing herself a paycheck, Bradshaw “would make a notation in the check registry showing she was working,” McCoy said.
No one, according to Bradshaw’s statement, knew she was writing the checks, and she never presented the other trustees with a warrant to get the hours approved.
McCoy said Bradshaw further reported “she had sole control over the checkbook and never showed the other members the checkbook, and that’s why it was so easy to take the money.”
Bradshaw, McCoy said, knew what she did was wrong, but “she had separated from her husband a year ago, and the money helped pay the bills … it was ‘easy money.’”
After her interview, Bradshaw was arrested and booked into the Stoddard County Jail, where she is being held on $25,000 cash bond.
Oliver said the investigation into the Castor Township’s finances and operations remains active and is ongoing by his office and the Bloomfield Police Department.
“Anyone who has personal knowledge of wrongdoing related to the operations of Castor Township is requested to contact Investigator Tim McCoy” at the prosecutor’s office at 573-568-4640, ext. 4.