GOLD HILL,
Ore. – A warrant for a former Gold Hill city employee was issued after she
failed to make a court appearance.
Carry Kay
Booker (aka Carry Randall) was scheduled to make a 9 a.m. court appearance on
July 7.
Booker was
employed as a clerk and worked in the city hall offices. In the wake of Harry
Staven’s departure as city manager – which was reportedly tumultuous and brief –
city/manager Jessica Simpson started looking at the finances. The alleged theft
was discovered as she was reconciling bank statements.
A forensic
audit was requested and completed by June of that year. After turning the
evidence over to law enforcement, the Jackson County District Attorney’s office
elected to pursue charges against the former employee. Booker was indicted by a
grand jury on April 28 for her alleged role in the theft of monies.
She is
facing four counts of first-degree theft and two counts of falsifying business
records.
The
warrant for her arrest was issued on July 16.
In a press
release, it was stated, “The City remains hopeful that justice will be
served, and thanks the residents for their patience while awaiting resolution
in this matter.”
Rumors of the
alleged thefts plagued local social media pages for months. Former city
councilor Christine Alford claimed that other city employees were involved with
the thefts one way or another. Last summer, Alford caused problems at a Dollar
General store when she confronted a city employee and verbally assaulted them, as
well as making accusations the employee was a part of the alleged thefts.
Alford was
soon asked to leave the store as she reportedly spewed profanities during the
incident.
Alford later
claimed that law enforcement officers had in their possession audio recordings
implicating other city employees.
“That’s
news to me,” Simpson said earlier this year. “I haven’t been told about that and the
investigation only found one suspect.”
Assistant
Deputy Attorney Ruby Herriot of the Jackson Co. D.A.’s Office is prosecuting
the case.
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