Contact:
Allie Dumski
Press Secretary
(614) 644-1111

Columbus –The 2020 Meigs County financial audit released by Auditor of State Keith Faber’s office included numerous findings for Material Weakness and Noncompliance. Additionally, the report issued two findings for recovery and a finding for adjustment.

In 2018, Sheriff Keith Wood made multiple checks out to ‘Cash’ totaling $8,620 from the Meigs County Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) bank account. In 2019, Sheriff Keith Wood made one check out to ‘Cash’ for $650 from the MCTF bank account. No supporting documentation was maintained by the Sheriff for these transactions. The source of monies included in the MCTF were Law Enforcement Trust Fund receipts. In addition, Sheriff Keith Wood used a debit card from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund bank account to make $555 and $830 in purchases in 2020 and 2019, respectively, without maintaining documentation to support the items were for proper public purpose.

A Finding for Recovery was issued against Sheriff Keith Wood in favor of Meigs County’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund in the amount of $10,655.

Sheriff Keith Wood entered into a repayment agreement with the County on January 6, 2022 to make monthly installments of no less than $200 per month. In addition, the Sheriff transferred the balance in the MCTF account to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund and closed the MCTF bank account in March 2020.

Additionally, a Finding for Recovery was issued against former County Recorder Kay Hill for an overpayment of her severance, however, Ms. Hill repaid the amount due to the County’s General Fund.

Finally, the County declined to make adjustments to their funds that were identified in previous audits. A balance of $7,074 remains to be adjusted from the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund to the County’s General Fund.

As a result, a Finding for Adjustment was issued against the Sheriff's Law Enforcement Trust Fund and in favor of the County's General Fund in the amount of $7,074.

The full report is available on the AOS website using Audit Search.

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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 Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.