Norwood's former deputy auditor was indicted Friday on felony charges including theft in office and tampering with evidence, after officials said she billed the city for a Columbus conference trip she never actually took. Sharon Kambizi allegedly submitted paperwork claiming a hotel stay, meals and mileage tied to the trip, then collected 32 hours of pay for attending an event investigators say she skipped entirely.
Prosecutors say Kambizi sought reimbursement for expenses tied to a conference in Columbus that she never attended, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer. The conference took place in March 2026, and Kambizi submitted documentation to the city claiming expenses for a hotel stay, meals and mileage associated with it, as reported by Yahoo News. On top of those claimed expenses, she also received 32 hours of pay for attending the conference.
Police Investigation Found Falsified Paperwork
An investigation by Norwood police found that Kambizi never attended the conference and that she had submitted falsified documentation, officials said. Investigators believe the total amount of the theft comes to nearly $2,500. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office reported that Kambizi submitted documentation claiming the conference-related expenses as part of the case against her.
She was indicted Nov. 13 on charges including theft in office and tampering with evidence. Officials said Kambizi no longer works for the city, though the exact date her employment ended was not disclosed. Readers can track the case through Hamilton County's public court-records search, which lets users look up filings by name, case number or other party name.
A Quick Rise Before the Fall
Kambizi had only been in the role a little over a year before the alleged scheme came to light. She was appointed in September 2025 as Norwood's full-time deputy auditor, earning $90,000 a year, and no longer works for the city.
According to her resume, Kambizi had previously served as controller for a housing authority in Xenia and as Dayton's assistant controller, bringing a background in municipal finance to the Norwood post before the alleged theft upended her career there.
What the Charges Could Mean
Ohio's theft-in-office statute generally classifies the offense as a fifth-degree felony, though the law bumps that up to a fourth-degree felony when the value of property or services stolen falls between $1,000 and $7,500, according to the Ohio Revised Code. The statute does not by itself establish which degree applies to Kambizi's case. No information on her plea or the current status of the proceedings has been made public.
