Former City Employee Charged with Stealing City Funds

 

The city of San Angelo’s former Property Manager, Diana Farris, faces state felony theft charges following a recent internal audit in which cash payments Farris was responsible for depositing were determined never to have been paid into the city’s bank account.

City Internal Auditor Steve Mahaffey discovered the missing funds during an audit on May 14, resulting in Farris’ immediate termination from the position. The theft is alleged to have taken place between Sept. 25, 2013 and May 12, 2014.

According to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed by San Angelo Police Detective Matthew Vaughn on May 29, a total of eight cash payments provided to Farris had never been deposited.

“The defendant had provided the customers with receipts, photocopied the U.S. currency used to make the payments, but there was no corresponding deposit made to the bank,” Vaughn writes in the affidavit.

During the investigation, he wrote, Vaughn viewed video surveillance footage of Farris’ desk and observed Farris place cash into her purse on two different occasions.

According to the affidavit, SAPD Officer Charles Barker was issuing Farris a criminal trespass warning from city of San Angelo property following her termination when he observed $400 in cash fall out of Farris’ purse. Along with the money was a city of San Angelo receipt for the same sum.

“A serial number from the money found in the defendant’s purse identically matched the serial number of a bill taken as payment from a customer on the 12th day of May, 2014,” the affidavit states.

On May 30, SAPD Officer Spearman located Farris at her residence in the 4100 block of Forest Trail and executed a county warrant for her arrest. Farris was booked that afternoon for theft equal to or more than $1,500 but less than $20k, a state jail felony punishable by 180 days to 2 years confinement and an optional fine not to exceed $10k. She was released on May 31 on a $3,000 surety bond.

Friday, July 11, LIVE! contacted Farris for comment regarding the allegations against her. “My attorney has asked me not to say anything, so no comment,” Farris said. Asked whether she denies the charges against her, Farris replied, “I’m not going to say anything. Thank you.”

As Property Manager, Farris was responsible for managing the lease of city-owned properties and routinely handled cash payments made to the city’s Real Estate Division. According to the city website, the Real Estate Division was created on Oct. 1, 2012.

The office, the site states, is responsible for “the acquisition, management and disposition of the City’s real estate interests,” and “the management of the recovery of financial obligations owed to the city”.

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It was wrong. She knows it I am sure even though I don't even know the lady. The court system here cuts deals for everyone else and she's already been fired. Have her pay the money back plus interest and stipulate she can never work for the city, county or any other place where she's in charge of money. It was a stupid thing to do but these days pay in San Angelo is so crappy , some people are just tempted.
she needs to be punished but will most likely be given probation without restitution.
You people just don't know her. Who here hasn't accidentally...mistakenly taken money from work and shoved it into your purse or wallet? Everybody makes mistakes....don't judge...(ad nauseam)
NewSel, Sat, 07/12/2014 - 11:48
I can honestly say I've never stolen anything from my job. I take the deposit to the bank, get change, make the deposit, I handle money all the time. I'm just not a thief.
This is no surprise due to the fact that our city manager is so stupid. Effective employees need good leadership. The city of San Angelo does not have it with the current city manager.
Hey she only got less than $1500.00 ! The city wastes more than that every day, not including the overcharging on their trash bill!
Just don't stop there. Mayor Morrison was pouring the coals to keep a fire going under "Furnituregate" to get to the bottom of who stole what and how much over time, then he became Mayor and probably found out justw how much money was involved and how many high rolling heads would roll and was probably told to cool his jets..... Now that the irons hot again, break out those old books and ledgers and get to the bottom of a huge cover-up.....
Umm..Debbie? I am pretty sure that Lares was being just a bit sarcastic...just a bit... And no, part of the blame DOES NOT go to tax accounting procedures...the blame is ALL on Diana Farris. I don't care if the procedures were sloppy. The fact is that Farris is a THIEF and it probably wouldn't have mattered to her what procedures were in place. I'm not saying you should trust blindly...I'm just saying that the only person to be held accountable when money is stolen is the person who took it. There was no excuse for her actions, not even low pay, J.L.
My question is why it took from May 30 to July 12 to hear about the theft of our city's money?
As Lares commented, everyone makes mistakes. Maybe she was having a hard time at home. Maybe she was an abused wife? Maybe her parents did not hug her enough as a child? Maybe she was saving money to buy the mayor a Christmas gift? Maybe she suffers from trauma due to a shady city Council deal with the local trash company? Maybe the policeman planted the money in her purse?

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