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Former Nelsonville Deputy Auditor Indicted On Additional Theft And Corruption Charges
By: WOUB News Team
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – The former deputy auditor in Nelsonville pleaded not guilty to new felony charges related to theft while in office after previously pleading guilty to similar charges.
Wilson previously pleaded guilty to charges of tampering with records, forgery, telecommunications fraud and theft in office related to funds she stole from Nelsonville during her time as the city’s deputy auditor. She has not yet been sentenced on those charges.
Athens County Assistant Prosecutor Glenn Jones told Judge George McCarthy that Wilson was not truthful with the prosecution during plea negotiations, according to a release from the prosecutor’s office. Further investigation led to the discovery of an additional $42,000 in fraudulent tax returns, improperly paying herself overtime and other refunds perpetrated by Wilson.
The prosecution’s argument for sentencing on the original indictment would have been based on the recovery of more than $200,000 in restitution owed by Wilson.
Wilson is alleged to have filed and processed inaccurate tax returns for Wilson Construction, a business operated by her husband, Richard Wilson, according to the new indictment. She is then said to have created fake businesses to serve as collection accounts for fraudulent tax returns from Nelsonville.
Richard Wilson, 51, of Stewart, is accused of signing those fraudulent tax returns for the business. He faces felony charges of aggravated theft and theft in office and is scheduled to be arraigned on March 24.
The prosecution recommended a $2.5 million bond for Stephanie Wilson, citing her as a flight risk, the seriousness of the crime and the lengthy prison sentence she already faced, coupled with the addition of the new charges.
Judge McCarthy agreed with the recommendation.
The defense reserved argument on bond pending the involvement of new counsel representing Stephanie Wilson.
A pretrial on the new indictment is scheduled for the same day she is scheduled to be sentenced on the previous charges, April 12.