MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A former Montgomery County Auditor’s Office employee is accused of stealing more than $180,000 in cigarette licensing fees.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Jodi Hockett, 61, of Miamisburg, was indicted on theft in office and destruction of public records charges on Friday.
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Hockett worked as a clerk for the Auditor’s Licensing Department for over a decade.
She is accused of stealing and destroying approximately $189,000 in license fees between May 2023 and July 2024.
Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith told News Center 7 that he feels “betrayed” by Hockett’s alleged actions.
The auditor’s office first discovered the problem in June of 2024, after noticing a shortage of the cigarette license fees that had been collected.
The office believed this was fraud and reached out to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor’s office found more shortages in other license fees.
An investigation found that cash and checks were only missing on days Hockett was assigned to complete the daily deposit.
“During a conversation with an investigator from the prosecutor’s office, Ms. Hockett admitted she took the cash and destroyed the checks,” Keith said.
Keith said he fired Hockett on Nov. 26 and the prosecutor’s office referred the charges to the grand jury.
She was arrested on Friday, Dec. 6.
“I am angry, I am outraged, and I feel betrayed. All of us who work in the County Auditor’s Office are in positions of trust. These actions are a deliberate violation of the public’s trust, actions that are both shocking and appalling,” Keith said.
Keith said the auditor’s office will continue to work with law enforcement to prosecute the crime and seek full restitution for the missing funds.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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