Union County now requires employee background checks: Move comes amid growing number of embezzlement

Union County now requires employee background checks: Move comes amid growing number of embezzlement cases around Arkansas

EL DORADO, Ark.—Several areas in Arkansas have seen cases of embezzlement in the past few years, prompting Union County Judge Mike Loftin to question if he was doing enough to protect local residents.

Loftin said the reason the Quorum Court passed a new ordinance requiring background checks for all county employees was to ensure the county is following correct standards. On Sept. 21, Ordinance 1457 was passed at the recommendation of attorneys Burt Newell and Gary Burbank, who suggested it as a starting point to ensure the county is protected if something does happen.

In Farmington, the FBI and the IRS are currently investigating $1.5 million missing from accounts in the city. The money is missing from court fines, costs and fees and city general fund revenue that weren't deposited between 2009 and 2016.

In Garland County, a former administrative assistant to the county judge was found guilty of fraudulent use of the county's credit card. The six counts of fraudulent use include two counts involving more than $25,000 and four counts involving more than $5,000.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2017/nov/20/union-county-now-requires-employee-background-checks-move-comes-amid-growing-number-embezzlement-cases-around-arkansas/700703/