Former Claiborne Co. Circuit Court Clerk Bookkeeper indicted in $620K theft
Lesley Chumley was indicted on multiple counts.
CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has ended in the indictment of former bookkeeper in the Claiborne County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Lesley Chumley.
Investigators determined that Chumley misappropriated “at least $618,404″ from the office between May 2015 and February 2022, according to a release from the Comptroller’s Office.
The clerk’s office collects fines and other court costs by the circuit, general sessions, and juvenile courts in Claiborne County. According to the release, Chumley did not deposit collections.
“For example, in February 2022, Chumley manipulated bank deposits on at least four separate days, withholding $10,947 in cash for her personal use. Chumley acknowledged to investigators that she had been taking court collections and using the cash due to personal financial problems,” officials said.
Chumley also allegedly created false bank statements so it looked like the bank account totals were higher than they actually were.
“The former bookkeeper was responsible for maintaining accounting records, reconciling bank statements, and preparing deposits,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “These duties should be separated between multiple individuals to reduce the risk of fraud. The clerk’s office must also discontinue its use of a signature stamp to affix the clerk’s signature on checks.”
Chumley left the office in April of this year. She was indicted on one count of theft over $250,000, one count of official misconduct, and one count of destruction of and tampering with government records.
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