The former financial overseer of the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District, James Barrett, has entered a guilty plea on two misdemeanor charges stemming from his misuse of a district credit card and the accumulation of penalties and interest due to late payroll remittances, according to a report released by the Ohio Auditor of State’s Keith Faber’s office. Barrett faced charges of dereliction of duty and misuse of a credit card; his plea in the Highland County Common Pleas Court has led to a restitution agreement amounting to $35,719.25 and resulted in a four-year prohibition from public sector employment, contingent upon the full payment of restitution.
Barrett’s admission in court is the latest in a series of prosecutions spotlighting financial misconduct within public entities. The Special Investigations Unit, which operates under the Ohio Auditor of State, offers a channel for reporting suspected fraud—their online tip submission system and a dedicated fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364)—and the unit actively investigates hundreds of tips each year, endeavoring to bring accountability to the handling of taxpayers’ money. The restitution from Barrett is set to alleviate some of the fiscal strain his actions have caused Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District…