A former utility clerk for the Village of Swanton is facing felony charges in the theft of nearly $65,000, Kari Rowe of Wauseon, made her initial appearance in Fulton County Common Pleas Court on one count of theft in office and one count of tampering with records, under a grand jury indictment unsealed November. A pre-trial hearing has been set for November 22.
The Ohio Auditor of State’s special investigations unit (SIU) opened an investigation into Ms. Rowe after anomalies were discovered during an audit of Swanton’s finances for fiscal years 2016-17, including utility payments that were not deposited into the village’s bank account.
SIU alleges that Ms. Rowe, who worked for the village from May 2002 until her resignation in January 2018, had misappropriated $64,342.15.
Since 2019, the SIU has assisted in 93 convictions resulting in more than $4.9 million in restitution.
The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually.
Tips may be submitted anonymously online or via the unit’s fraud hotline at 866-372-8364.
