3 Clear Lake employees embezzled $200K from city, charges say
Three municipal employees of a central Minnesota town are accused of embezzling more than $200,000 collectively from the city.
According to the criminal complaints, a forensic analyst was hired to investigate financial activity between Nov. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 in Clear Lake, Minnesota. The review examined the city's credit cards, vendors, payroll and bank statements.
Two of the employees — who were married — used the city's credit cards for personal purchases, the criminal complaints say.
Documents say the woman, who was responsible for city finances, was overpaid more than $14,000 in 2023 and used various credit cards and city accounts to buy more than $23,000 worth of items. The man defrauded the city of roughly $5,000, the complaint says.
In their voluntary statements to officers, they both said they were going through financial hardship, according to the complaint.
A third employee used a city credit card to make purchases from two vendors, which an investigation revealed were not real, documents say. He was also overpaid for hours he didn't work, and in all cost the city more than $71,000.
The three employees were each charged with one count of theft and one count of embezzlement of public funds.
The city's mayor said he had no comment on the matter, and would not confirm if the three people charged are still employed with the city.
Clear Lake is a city of about 600 people and is 13 miles southwest of St. Cloud.