A former City of Dermott employee has been arrested on theft of property allegations.
According to the McGehee Dermott Times-News, Shamia Jefferson turned herself in to authorities in Chicot County April 1 following an investigation by the Public Integrity Division of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office.
Jefferson was city hall secretary and had access to money paid by Dermott residents for their water and sewer bills. The newspaper reported that a 2016 Legislative Audit report found discrepancies in approximately 100 deposits. Bank records and documents from the city water department were examined and indicated numerous unrecorded checks had been deposited to conceal missing cash. The total amount of funds missing was $15,594.
After leaving her city job, Jefferson worked as a teller at First Service Bank from August 2018 to August 2019 and an audit was conducted regarding missing money from the bank. As a result of that investigation, Jefferson was found to have taken money from her cash drawer.
