Former Russellville clerk-treasurer also facing civil suit

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Already facing a criminal trial in the matter, the former clerk-treasurer of Russellville is now being sued by the State of Indiana in civil court.

Last year, Dallas Devon Davis was charged with two Class D felonies for alleged thefts of public funds.

In a civil case filed Wednesday in Putnam Circuit Court, Attorney General Curtis Hill and the State of Indiana are seeking $62,717.50 from Davis, as well as $30,000 in surety liability from State Farm Insurance, which issued the bond that covered Davis when she was still clerk-treasurer.

The amount being sought from Davis far exceeds the $28,102.78 in “direct and proximate” pecuniary results to the town.

However, as a result of the problems, the town incurred additional audit costs of $34,614.72, bringing the amount to $62,717.50.

The Indiana State Board of accounts and Indiana State Police conducted an investigation that indicated that during her time as clerk, Devon Davis “made personal credits to her water utility account with monies from other paying customers and also failed to deposit various checks within the statutory requirements for the deposit of public funds.”

Davis served one term as clerk-treasurer in Russellville, from January 2012 through December 2015.

The initial SBOA investigation found that between Nov. 1, 2012 and Dec. 29, 2015, there was $7,711.41 worth of receipts paid to the town that were not deposited into the town bank account.

Denying any wrongdoing, Davis did allow that she would take cash payments and place them in the money box “and forget about them until the end of the month, when she would make the deposit.”

However, SBOA representatives told ISP Det. Sgt. J. Troy Stanton that they were unable to locate these deposits at any time.

Water adjustments must be approved by a town board or utility board.

Two town board members during Davis’s time as clerk-treasurer, Norma Gross and Don Reddish, were questioned about adjustments during Davis’ tenure. Neither had any recollection authorizing excessive adjustments.

Two owners of rental properties in Russellville were also questioned. They also said they did not recall a large number of utility complaints. The men also indicated that it sometimes took Davis a significant amount of time to post credits to their accounts.

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