Crime - Courier - City probes theft of $40K from tax office

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Published in the Courier News, Saturday, June 10, 2006

Plainfield probes theft of $40K paid to the city
Money, mostly checks, stolen from tax office.

By CHAD WEIHRAUCH
Staff Writer

PLAINFIELD -- Tens of thousands of dollars in payments to the city was stolen from a municipal office earlier this year, officials confirmed Friday.

The money -- most of it in the form of personal checks written to cover items such as property taxes -- was taken from the Plainfield tax office sometime in early February, police Chief Edward Santiago said.

Because the case remains under investigation, Santiago declined to comment on details of the theft. But he said that in all, about $40,000 was taken. When the loss was discovered, officials notified police, who began investigating how the theft had occurred.

"City Hall notified us, and we assigned an investigator to it," he said. "If it were checks, somehow or other it could have been turned into cash."

Months ago, shortly after the crime came to light, members of the City Council were briefed on what had happened, city Councilman Rashid Burney said Friday.

He said mostly checks were taken, along with a comparatively small amount of cash.

"It was monies that were going to go and get deposited," Burney said.

Because the funds were in the form of checks, city officials told the council that their first reaction was to contact those whose payments had been stolen. Burney added that no alarm was sounded publicly because it likely would be difficult for the thief to cash the checks.

"They basically went back and called everyone, and my understanding is they were going to tell everyone to cancel their checks," he said.

Council members expected to hear an update soon on the status of the investigation, Burney said.

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs and City Administrator Carlton McGee did not return calls for comment Friday.

http://www.c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060610/NEWS/606100303

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