Friday, July 30, 1999
Former Ky. official to face theft charge
Audit says he mishandled almost $50,000
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT — Former Campbell County Property Valuation Administrator Bill Kaiser misappropriated nearly $50,000 in taxpayer money, according to a state audit released Thursday.
Mr. Kaiser, 49, failed to deposit money into official bank accounts and created phony documents to hide payments he made to himself, the audit stated.
“The trust and confidence of the citizens of Campbell County has been broken,” said State Auditor Ed Hatchett, whose office conducted the audit.
The state also has begun an audit of the Boone County property valuation administrator's office, a state official said Wednesday.
The property valuation administrator's (PVA's) office is charged with setting the value of all property in the county. Those values are then used to determine what taxes are owed on the property, which includes automobiles.
Although the PVA is voted into office in each county and the employees work in a county building, the PVA is actually an arm of the state.
Campbell County Commonwealth Attorney Lou Ball said Thursday that within the next several weeks, he will present the case to a grand jury and seek a felony charge of theft against Mr. Kaiser, 49, who resigned in April after county prosecutors revealed a criminal investigation into missing funds had been going on about six weeks. Mr. Kaiser had been elected to the office twice and was PVA for six years.
“If he is indicted and convicted, jail time would be appropriate, but obviously, that final decision is up to a judge,” Mr. Ball said.
In the audit report, Mr. Hatchett said information uncovered by the audit, which covered July 1, 1997, through April 23, were referred to “the appropriate law enforcement authorities.”
Mr. Hatchett also recommended that Mr. Kaiser repay $49,925, the amount auditors say was misappropriated.
Newport police are investi gating.
Mr. Kaiser, a Southgate Democrat, has not been charged with a crime, and he has been cooperating with prosecutors and investigators, said his attorney, Covington lawyer Bob Lotz.
Mr. Lotz said Mr. Kaiser has borrowed the amount of money missing from the PVA's office and has made arrangements to have it deposited into the office's account by today.
“That is not an admission of guilt,” Mr. Lotz said. “We're doing this to make sure there is no question that the office is out any money because of this matter.”
Mr. Hatchett said Mr. Kaiser misappropriated money using four methods:
• He failed to deposit a total of $22,184 paid to the auditor's office by Newport, Dayton, Silver Grove and Crestview to maintain local tax rolls.
• He paid himself $14,426 and then tried to cover the payments by creating seven false invoices for computer services and updates.
“It appears the former PVA altered the bank documents to reflect the vendor's name instead of his own,” Mr. Hatchett said. “Basically, he was making duplicate invoices. The computer vendors were paid, but he also paid himself.”
• He withdrew $7,500 in cash from a PVA bank account in transactions recorded as bank transfers. “Upon review of the bank records, we could find no corresponding deposit into an official account,” Mr. Hatchett said.
• He made out 10 checks totaling $5,815 to people working in the PVA's office on personal service contracts. But Mr. Hatchett said that based on interviews conducted by auditors, the checks were not cashed by the people to whom they were made out.
Help gives agencies warm feeling
Many cool centers empty
Electric fans aren't much help
Businesses boom, bust in heat
Where to get help from the heat
Tips for staying cool
How to conserve energy
Public pools
Summer's R-rated films tempt teens
Surgeons pull out of Anthem Blue Cross
Be prepared for school violence, sheriff warns
Butler eager to put jail inmates in tent
Evening, weekend parking rates fall
Former Ky. official to face theft charge
New site gives parents Web filtering information
Pet killed by mistake at shelter
Rape attempt has suburbs on alert
Cincinnatian added to series' cast
GET TO IT
Inland sailors find relaxation, success on Cowan Lake
'Push for Pencils' starts Sunday for school kids
She likes Florence but loves New York
Arson suspected in 2 Hamilton office fires
Ashland to give $2.5M to Kentucky universities
Bids on bears to brighten shelter for area homeless
City's growth draws candidates
Commissioners firm on airport
Fairfield happy with scores on advanced exams
Federal judge rebuffs nude club's opponents
Ft. Thomas approves new school
Goal: Link with history
Kiddie porn suspect linked to N.Ky.
Land buyout came with limits for township
Mt. Orab tap water defended
Pretty park replaces city water plant
Prisoner's letters provide clues to suicide
Retiring director saw library grow
Runner's therapy leads to victory
Tower controversy lingers
TRISTATE DIGEST
