Former Schuyler County Tax Collector Indicted on Federal Charges Related to Her Alleged Embezzlement of Approximately $550,000
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 07, 2011 |
ST. LOUIS, MO—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Kathy Sue Roberts was indicted for her alleged embezzlement of approximately $550,000 from Schuyler County tax funds between January 1992 and August 2011.
According to the indictment, Roberts has served as the elected Collector for Schuyler County since 1987. As the elected Schuyler Collector, Roberts received cash payments for county taxes and used the money for personal purposes instead of depositing the money into the county’s bank account. The indictment alleges that she issued the county residents tax receipts for the cash payments, but did not include copies of those tax receipts with other tax receipts used to reconcile the monthly tax income and bank deposit for the county. In order to conceal her scheme, Roberts made sure that delinquent tax notices were not sent out to those residents who had paid their taxes. Additionally, the indictment states that on some occasions, Roberts issued Schuyler County checks to herself and deposited them into her own personal bank account without the authority of the county.
KATHY SUE ROBERTS, Downing, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of mail fraud. She is expected to appear in federal court October 7, 2011.
If convicted, mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, with the assistance of the Missouri State Auditor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.