Charges have been filed against former Coffey city clerk Mary Lou Browning after a recent audit by the State Auditor’s Office revealed more than $60,000 missing from the City of Coffey.
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Mrs. Browning now faces four felony charges: stealing $25,000 or more, C felony, stealing $750 or more, D felony, and two counts of D felony forgery.
This is not the first time Browning has faced felony counts. Similar charges were filed against Browning in 2012 in Daviess County, due to offenses at two different land title companies where she was employed.
Browning was arrested in May 2012 on two felony and two misdemeanor counts of stealing for altering a receipt book and deposit slips in order to steal $1,385 at one company. She was charged with felony forgery in March 2012 for altering a check and registry in January 2010 at a different land title company.
Browning pled guilty to these charges in August 2012. She received a suspended imposition of sentence on two charges, forgery and stealing, both C felonies. She served five years probation on each count, paid restitution and served five days shock jail time on each count. The remaining count of felony stealing and two counts of misdemeanor stealing were dismissed at the time of her sentencing.
New felony charges
Browning was the city clerk at Coffey from September 2015 to August 2017 and solely responsible for the financial accounting functions and records of the city. Coffey has a population of 166, according to the 2010 census.
A bank official contacted one of the board members in August 2017 regarding suspicious activity in city bank accounts. The board terminated Browning’s employment on Aug. 2, 2017, and then asked local law enforcement for assistance.
According to the probable cause statement prepared by the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Robert Mazur was dispatched to Coffey City Hall on Aug. 3, 2017, to begin an investigation of missing funds and forged documents by the former city clerk. During the course of the investigation, the state auditor’s office was contacted to assist. That audit was released on July 12, 2018.
Probable Cause Statement:
The probable cause statement states that on or about Feb. 23, 2017, Browning drafted special board meeting minutes to transfer money between Coffey City Hall bank accounts. These minutes were prepared fraudulently by Browning, as the board did not have a special meeting nor did they authorize any transfer of funds.
Browning provided the fraudulent minutes to BTC Bank in Pattonsburg, in order to transfer funds. She forged signatures of city council members, William Browning, Carolyn Griffin, Virgil Griffin, Julia Bayne, and Mayor Barbara Miller, by taking their signatures from another document and overlaying them on the forged document in order to purport that the transaction was authorized.
According to the probably cause statement, Browning drafted and presented board members with packets representing the city’s bank accounts with higher balances than the accounts actually contained, in order to deceive the council in June 2017. These accounts are shown below:
Accounts Purported Amount Actual Amount
General $3,465.66 $87.83
Late Fee $4,257.97 $30.22
Sewer Deposit $4,515.59 $501.27
Sewer $8,102.60 $-354.91
Sewer Revenue $5,684.42 $4,184.42
Solid Waste Removal $7,964.40 $-305.38
Street $1,151.23 $63.05
Utility Deposit(s) $5,401.14 $281.81
Water $8,940.76 $104.00
Unauthorized payroll:
Between April 2016 and July 2017, the probable cause statement alleges that Browning issued herself 94 unauthorized payroll checks that totaled approximately $24,663.92. Of the 94 checks, 46 were even dollar amounts. In 2016 Browning issued herself 32 payroll checks from the city’s water account and 21 from the sewer account with a total of 53 unauthorized checks in 2016. In 2017, Browning issued herself 20 payroll checks from the city’s water account and 21 from the sewer account with a total of 41 unauthorized checks in 2017.
Utility payments:
Between September 2015 and December 2015, Browning was in charge of making 11 deposit transactions on the City of Coffey’s behalf. During this time frame, she stole approximately $3,810.55 in cash and $148.92 in check deposit transactions.
Between January 2016 and December 2016, Browning was in charge of making 44 deposit transactions on the City of Coffey’s behalf. During this time frame, she stole approximately $18,159.17 in cash and $102.09 in check deposit transactions.
Between January 2017 and August 2017, Browning was in charge of making 49 deposit transactions on the City of Coffey’s behalf. During this time frame, she stole approximately $11,769.40 in cash transactions.
During the above listed years, Browning allegedly stole approximately $33,984.03 from the City of Coffey. These transactions were verified with deposit documentation, bank records and utility receipts.
In order to complete the investigation, Deputy Mazur obtained investigative subpoenas to send to banks and other businesses, a process which takes several business days.
The state auditor’s report states that over a period of two years, Browning failed to make deposits, received improper payroll payments, and falsified board minutes and financial reports. According to the report, Browning’s criminal activities were compounded by minimal and often non-existent oversight by city officials.
Browning’s husband, William Browning, was a Coffey alderman during the period of time that Browning served as city clerk.