Former Sheriff's Office Financial Officer Arrested for Alleged Theft
By: Melissa Foy
Updated: December 6, 2012
A former Wichita County Sheriff's Office employee is out on bond tonight after she was arrested overnight and charged with taking thousands of dollars from the office.
Sheriff David Duke says Tami Haggerton worked as a commissary financial officer for the sheriff's office.
She's charged with theft under $20-thousand by a public servant for allegedly taking more than $26-hundred from a secured room in the sheriff's office.
Duke says Haggerton resigned from her position in July of this year.
She worked for the sheriff's office since July 2007.
Duke says Haggerton's job duties were backed up, so when her replacement took over, she noticed some of the bank reconciliations on a certain account hadn't been completed.
Once they looked over the records, Duke says they were able to determine when and from what fund the money was taken.
He says the money taken was from the Inmate Commissary Fund, which is made up of money inmates have when they're booked into jail.
"That money goes into a secured area that's only accessed by certain people, and at that point, that money goes into a commissary account for that individual," Duke says.
He says because of Haggerton's position, she had access to that room.
Duke says during their investigation, they found out Haggerton had arrests for theft in Tillman County, OK and in Brazos County, TX.
He says those charges were apparently an oversight by the previous sheriff's administration because Haggerton was hired under the previous administration.
Duke says he knows county taxpayers hold people in public offices accountable for their actions, and he says that's exactly why charges were filed against Haggerton.
Sheriff David Duke says Tami Haggerton worked as a commissary financial officer for the sheriff's office.
She's charged with theft under $20-thousand by a public servant for allegedly taking more than $26-hundred from a secured room in the sheriff's office.
Duke says Haggerton resigned from her position in July of this year.
She worked for the sheriff's office since July 2007.
Duke says Haggerton's job duties were backed up, so when her replacement took over, she noticed some of the bank reconciliations on a certain account hadn't been completed.
Once they looked over the records, Duke says they were able to determine when and from what fund the money was taken.
He says the money taken was from the Inmate Commissary Fund, which is made up of money inmates have when they're booked into jail.
"That money goes into a secured area that's only accessed by certain people, and at that point, that money goes into a commissary account for that individual," Duke says.
He says because of Haggerton's position, she had access to that room.
Duke says during their investigation, they found out Haggerton had arrests for theft in Tillman County, OK and in Brazos County, TX.
He says those charges were apparently an oversight by the previous sheriff's administration because Haggerton was hired under the previous administration.
Duke says he knows county taxpayers hold people in public offices accountable for their actions, and he says that's exactly why charges were filed against Haggerton.
