The documents signed by sheriff’s Detective Lt. Jason Moore also showed:
— Members of the Miami County Children’s Services Board triggered the investigation with a complaint to the sheriff’s office about “questionable requests for reimbursement” and purchases;
— Fuel card purchases and credit card rewards are under review by investigators, and
— Data collected for January revealed eight of 11 travel entries on Cannon’s mileage reimbursement form “appear to have been falsified completely or in part.”
Board members fired Cannon, a Beavercreek resident, on March 5, days after deputies searched Children’s Services offices and the investigation became public. Cannon made $93,141 in 2018, according to the county.
No charges have been filed.
Cheryl Buecker has been on the board more than 20 years.
“I am personally devastated by what this woman did to us,” she said Thursday at a board meeting.
The investigation continues. Sheriff Dave Duchak said last week that the public corruption probe was looking into allegations of fraud and theft.
Common Pleas Judge Stacy Wall approved the search warrant, which was executed March 1 at the Children’s Services office in the Hobart Center for County Government in Troy. The search warrant inventory listed a computer, notebooks, receipts and mileage sheets among items seized.
The search warrant was sealed until the judge approved its release Wednesday afternoon.
Among information Moore said he received and collected were discrepancies between dates and times on mileage logs and door swipe activity of Cannon’s access card at the agency office, according to the affidavit.
Also questioned were requests for reimbursement by Cannon for purchases made for families/clients of Children’s Services. The purchases included fuel cards purchased at Speedway stations using a personal credit card and/or Speedy Rewards cards along with other items from WalMart online and other businesses, again using a personal Discover credit card, Moore wrote.
“Director Cannon did receive Speedy Rewards points on her personal card for those reimbursed purchases … Director Cannon did receive Cash Back amount on those purchases for her personal Discover card,” the affidavit said. “The monetary amounts of the Speedy Rewards points and Cash Back values could not be accurately evaluated.”
The investigation included obtaining a warrant to place a GPS tracking device on Cannon’s personal vehicle in December. The device was requested “due to lack of documentation on Director Cannon’s mileage reimbursement expense reports and the observed discrepancies (found in documentation).” The device was intended to “allow more accurate accounting of her work- related travels.”
The affidavit lists reported trips to Springfield, Dayton and Batavia that investigators said did not occur.
The mileage forms were approved by Cannon, as the agency supervisor.
The affidavit cited the agency policy for use of county and employee owned vehicles for travel. The policy requires use of county owned before employee owned vehicles and states mileage is not reimbursed if a county vehicle was available, unless there was prior approval.
“Documentation indicated that county owned vehicles assigned to Children’s Services were present and not being used by other employees on every date entered by Director Cannon as a travel expense in 2018,” Moore wrote.
The agency is overseen by a five-member board of county residents who are appointed by the county commissioners.
The county commissioners said after the investigation was disclosed that wanted a review of agency oversight and structure.
About the Author