Former Carson City Sheriff’s Office accountant accused of embezzlement
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 01/07/2014 - 10:40am
A former Carson City Sheriff's Office accountant faces eight felony charges of embezzlement after allegedly stealing at least $100,000 of bail and search and seizure money over several years.
Laura Wissert, 44, is expected to turn herself into Carson City Jail today after an arrest warrant was issued by a judge. Her bail is set at $20,000. She has retained Noel Waters as her attorney, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.
Wissert was a division account technician at the sheriff's office for more than a dozen years. According to Furlong, officials at the department saw suspicious activity within the accounting system in August 2013.
When the problem was recognized, Wissert resigned "on the spot," said Furlong. An audit and the investigation was turned over to the Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigations Division. Wissert was cooperative in the investigation, said Furlong.
A warrant for her arrest was issued late last week and signed by a judge on Monday. The Carson City District Attorney's Office will prosecute the case.
"I expect Laura to turn herself in," said Furlong, who said he spoke with her attorney on Monday who was aware of the warrant.
The alleged crimes were committed over several years. Wissert allegedly took money from an account established for money from search and seizures. The money, which is typically cash confiscated in drug transactions, is put into an account after conviction and dispersed among departments for programs.
It is also alleged Wissert took money from the Sheriff's Office bail account, and used money from the search and seizure account to cover money she took from the bail account. Approximately $100,000 was taken by Wissert, said Furlong.
While the money she allegedly stole didn't come from the general fund, she targeted what Furlong called "the dark side" of public safety funding — money collected from drug transactions.
She faces seven class B felony counts of embezzlement and 1 Class C count.
"Even though she has been cooperative with us, she seriously damaged our (accounting) abilities and set back our abilities to operate for many months," said Furlong. "It has been an enormous battle to recapture what these accounts should have been."
Insurance money will cover the loss as well as any restitution if Wissert is convicted.
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