The Ohio Auditor's Special Investigations Unit has called to account Tammy Rayle, former fiscal officer of the Village of Belmore, with a finding for recovery amounting to $1,369 as detailed in a special audit report released this past Thursday. According to the Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber's report, there were missing sewer receipts, which Rayle was responsible for during her tenure.
The investigators delved into the village's finances after state auditors discovered inconsistencies between the sewer receipts and the amounts deposited into the village's bank accounts, beginning in March 2022. Serving from 2009 up until her departure in August 2022, Rayle was the lone person in charge of managing sewer payments from residents. Yet, her accounting practice came into question when she was unable to produce comprehensive records for all the receipts she collected from July 2016 through September 2022.
Under scrutiny by the audit team, "Ms. Rayle claimed the money from the customer payments was being stored in a safe at her home," as noted in the audit findings, according to the Ohio Auditor of State's website. Following the team's inquiry, it was apparent she then deposited several large sums of cash totaling $7,247.60 into the village's bank account. The highlighted discrepancy involves $1,319 in sewer service fees and a separate $50 related to the rental of a town hall space, neither of which initially appeared in bank records.
While Rayle and her bonding company were slapped with a joint liability for the recovery amount, the audit concluded without enough evidence to level criminal charges against her. Since its formation, the Special Investigations Unit has played a pivotal role in bringing about 143 convictions, helping secure over $13 million in repayments back into municipal coffers. They annually sift through hundreds of fraud tips, which can be reported anonymously through their site or via a tip line at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).
