A former employee of Mahoning County Children's Services is facing charges after an indictment was handed down this past Thursday. Nancy Walker-McCain is accused of theft in office and telecommunications fraud, along with a misdemeanor for allegedly soliciting or receiving improper compensation. According to the Ohio Auditor's Office, she is slated for arraignment on October 28th.
The Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit, after being tipped off by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, launched an inquiry into Walker-McCain's activities in June 2023, this followed an internal probe by MCCS into the mishandling of pay linked to counseling services - during which Walker-McCain was reportedly engaged in work for a private company when her responsibilities were with MCCS, she ended up receiving pay from both, which led to an approximate $900 loss of public funds. The Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office has since appointed an SIU attorney to act as a special prosecutor in the case.
The indictment falls against a backdrop of vigilant oversight by the SIU; since 2019, their efforts have been instrumental in achieving 146 convictions, which have collectively amounted to over $16 million in restitution. Public tips play a critical role in these investigations, with the team receiving hundreds annually that can be submitted via an online platform or through the SIU's fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH.
