Finance Office Employee Indicted For Theft

A Jefferson County woman was indicted on Monday for charges of theft over $60,000 and official misconduct. Teresa Crusenberry, a long-term employee of the Jefferson County Finance Office, came under suspicion earlier this year when discrepancies came to light. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Comptroller’s Office led the investigation, which resulted in the recent indictment.

Jefferson County Mayor Palmieri stated

“We were not surprised by Monday’s indictment, considering the scope of the investigation during the last several months. It was an intensive investigation that involved a number of professionals, including State auditors and the Director of Jefferson County Finance, who, along with the Mayor’s Office, imitated the inquiry and requested assistance from the Comptroller’s Office. A glitch in accounting software was identified as a reason that the theft was possible and that glitch has been corrected on the State level. Safety measures have also been employed internally at the local level to assure that this will not happen again.”

According to the Jefferson County Finance Office, no trial date has been set and Crusenberry is out on a $10,000 bond.