Former Akron town clerk Diann Taylor was sentenced on felony ethics and theft charges on Monday in Hale County Circuit Court.
Taylor recently appeared in Hale County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to allegations in an indictment charging her with using her office or official position for her personal gain and first-degree theft. Taylor was ordered to pay $110,908.60 in restitution.
"Public trust is lost when public officials exploit and abuse their access to critical funds and resources. No one is above the law; anyone who commits theft for personal gain will be prosecuted," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement on Monday.
The Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Division investigated the case and presented it to a Hale County grand jury in April 2021, and the grand jury returned an indictment that month.
Taylor was clerk of the Town of Akron for over two years. At the plea hearing, she admitted that between August 2017 and November 2020, she used her access to the Town of Akron's bank accounts to purchase over $30,000 in goods and services and withdraw over $77,000 in cash from an ATM.
She admitted at least some of these purchases and withdrawals were not authorized by the Town. The Court sentenced Taylor to 35 months in prison. However, the Alabama Sentencing Guidelines showed a non-prison sentence. Her sentence was suspended, and she was placed on probation for five years. As a condition of her plea, Taylor agreed to make full restitution in the amount of $110,908.60.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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