Published: March 13, 2008 10:55 am            

Former Rusk bookkeeper indicted for felony theft

By Kelly Young

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Doris C. Robinson, a former city of Rusk employee, turned herself in Monday following her indictment by a Cherokee County grand jury. Robinson has been charged with theft of property in an amount more than $100,000 but less than $200,000.

A former bookkeeper for Rusk’s water department, Robinson was terminated by the city in January 2007, after a large sum of city water funds came up missing.

“Suspicious activity was noticed in July or August of 2006, and I believe the Texas Rangers were called in in September of 2006,” said Rusk City Manager Mike Murray.

According to District Attorney Elmer Beckworth, Robinson was indicted Feb. 25, but because no arrest had yet been made it was not announced at that time. An indictment indicates a grand jury felt enough evidence exists in the case for it to proceed to trial.

“The next step in the legal process will be her arraignment, which in the normal course of things would probably be in the month or two after indictment,” Beckworth said.

Robinson will submit her plea when she is arraigned. At this time no trial date has been set.

The Rusk city financial audit for the year ended Sept. 30, 2006, shows an undisclosed amount of money was found to be missing from the city’s water collections.

“During the year ended September 30, 2006, the city discovered various transactions which it believes included the possibility of theft of water collections by an employee. It is currently investigating water revenue to determine the amount of potential theft loss. If the employee is found to have stolen water collections, water revenue would be understated and theft loss understated by a like amount,” read the audit conducted by Acker & Company.

According to Beckworth, the allegations in the indictment pertain to money that was allegedly stolen between August 2004 and September 2006. He said monetary restitution to the city could be ordered in the event of a conviction.

Robinson, 60, was hired by the city on July 18, 1994, as a utility billing clerk. She is the wife of current Jacksonville City Councilman Hubert Robinson.

Her bond was set at $10,000, and she posted bond and was released Monday.

Attempts to contact Robinson were unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon.

        

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