VERSAILLES, Mo. - A Morgan County Health Center clerk has been charged with stealing more than $140,000 from the center.
Melissa Dawn Owsley, 38, Versailles, was charged Wednesday with two felony counts of theft after a month-long investigation.
According to a probable cause statement, officials with the health center contacted the sheriff's department May 28 after an audit of the center's operations uncovered irregularities, said Tony Wheatley, Morgan County chief deputy.
Financial records from Jan. 1, 2011, to May 31, 2015 showed several electronic transactions totalling $105,650.26 were made from the center's primary account at Bank of Versailles to Chase Bank, according to the probable cause statement. Wheatley said health center officials said the Chase Bank account was supposed to have been closed in early 2012 and no money should have been sent to Chase Bank.
Wheatley said the Chase account was held under the name of the former health center's administrator, who told Wheatley she had signed the forms to close the account when she left the job.
According to the probable cause statement, Wheatley also observed several electronic transactions between the center's Bank of Versailles account and Capital One accounts. He said the funds were allegedly being transferred to an account under the name of Melissa Owsley and one account under Jeremy Owsley. On June 1, four of the electronic transactions were credited back to the Morgan County Health Center account from the accounts held by Melissa and Jeremy Owsley. The statement also alleges center funds were transferred to an account held by Jeremy Owsley with the First National Bank of Omaha.
The investigation also alleges Owsley was double paid from September 2014 through May of this year when she was issued five payroll checks, as well as receiving automatic deposits in her bank account.
The probable cause statement also alleges credit cards held by the health center were used for personal use by Owsley. The cards were allegedly used to pay AT&T for cell bills, Ameren utility bills, Direct TV service, Amazon, online stores and department stores and other businesses in the Lake Area, Jefferson City and Columbia.
Wheatley said he met with Melissa Owsley and her attorney on June 15 and she said had taken health center funds and used the center's credit cards for personal uses.