b'Ohio Auditor of State 2021 Annual ReportStark Area Regional Transit Authority By the (Belmont County)numbersThe Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director for the Stark AreaFY 2021:Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) alerted the Auditor of States Office to funds stolen by their former Human Resource Director, Kristy Williams. SARTA also suspected Ms. Williams and another1008Human Resource employee, Brandy Pryor, had misused SARTAsTips submitted credit cards and received fraudulent tuition reimbursements. regarding SIUs investigation and special audit confirmed the allegations Ms.suspected fraudWilliams and Ms. Pryor misappropriated SARTA expenses and fraudulently obtained disability insurance and HEAP benefits during140the period July 21, 2008, through April 30, 2018. SIU uncovered $463,679 taken by Ms. Williams and Ms. Pryor through multipleAverage number schemes including: $40,718 in unauthorized tuition reimbursementof open cases payments; $1,244 in unallowable travel expenses; $285,111 inin our Special personal credit card purchases misrepresented as wellness programInvestigations Unitexpenditures; $113,503 in fraudulently obtained salary through fictitious college records and resume used to obtain a promotion;26and $23,103 in improper disability insurance and federal assistanceConvictions in through HEAP. The special audit and investigation also identifiedFY21recommendations to management related to records retention, public records policy, rewards card policy, credit cards, travel expenses, tuition reimbursement policy, and proper public purpose policy.Result: (866) Ms. Williams pled guilty to all five counts of her indictment: theft in office (a third-degree felony); aggravated theft (a third-degree felony);FraudOHforgery (a fifth-degree felony); insurance fraud (a fourth-degree felony); and tampering with records (a first-degree misdemeanor).The number to She was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of communitycall to report control, and ordered to pay restitution of $406,594. Ms. Williams wassuspected fraud in granted judicial release on January 11, 2021, after only serving sixgovernment.months in prison. While under investigation for the SARTA thefts, Ms.Did you know?Williams was also investigated in Cuyahoga County on allegations of additional theft from her employer after she was terminatedSIU collaborates from SARTA. Ms. Williams was indicted on five counts, includingwith federal, state, aggravated theft (a third-degree felony), on November 30, 2020. Aand local law plea agreement in the case is still pending. enforcement. Ms. Pryor pled guilty to all three counts of her indictment: theft in office (a third-degree felony); grand theft (a fourth-degree felony); and tampering with records (a fourth-degree felony). She was sentenced to five years of community control, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution of $14,742.EfficientlEffectivelTransparent15'