Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick says former Randolph County Sheriff Aaron Wilson needs to be prosecuted for the misappropriation and misuse of funds.
More than $224,000 improperly spent from February 2023 to October 2024 has given the sheriff’s office the lowest audit rating of “poor,” according to the report Fitzpatrick released Tuesday.
Wilson is responsible for at least $222,605 in county funds that were misappropriated or improperly used, along with nearly $2,000 that is still missing, Fitzapatrick found. He recommended that the Randolph County Commission work with law enforcement to pursue criminal prosecution.
Within hours of the audit’s release, Randolph County Sheriff Andy Boggs, in cooperation with county commissioners, requested a criminal investigation.
The report found that the former sheriff made 11 unauthorized cash withdrawals totaling $47,500 and improperly cashed two checks totaling $9,000. Wilson claimed that he withdrew cash for things like purchasing children’s toys and reimbursing deputies for training expenses. However, the report says there was little to no documentation to support his claims or to explain why he did not follow county disbursement procedures, which require the use of checks.
Wilson could also not provide documentation after improperly cashing a $4,000 check from the City of Huntsville and a $5,000 check from the annual advertising calendar vendor, the report states. These funds were not deposited into a sheriff’s account, according to Fitzpatrick.
Randolph County audit reportDownload
Another $166,105 in improper and unsupported disbursements from the benevolent fund and commissary accounts were also reported. Fitzpatrick says that although some of these may have been justified, Wilson authorized them outside of typical purchasing procedures, bypassing essential county purchasing controls, including oversight from the county commission.
For instance, Wilson withdrew $500 from an ATM at a casino in Lewis County, the report states.
Wilson claimed that he gave the cash to an employee as an advance for meals during an out-of-state training trip a few weeks later. While the employee was able to produce receipts for part of the expenses, there was no clear explanation why the reimbursement happened outside of standard county procedure, the auditor’s office reported.
During his time as sheriff, Wilson purchased eight vehicles and a trailer for a combined $78,650. He made those purchases through the commissary account, which allowed him to bypass the standard county purchasing review and approval procedures. Wilson then failed to solicit bids for five of the vehicles, contrary to state law.
The auditor also claims Wilson disguised part of nearly $16,000 in bonuses for 20 jailers as a uniform allowance. The report says Wilson also violated the state constitution by using public money to make private donations, including to a private school his child attended.
“It is outrageous that the chief law enforcement officer for the county engaged in apparent criminal conduct as he abused his authority by funneling money to accounts outside of the county treasury and then potentially misused tens of thousands of these dollars for his personal benefit,” Fitzpatrick said in a news release Tuesday. “It’s clear he had no regard for the law and saw county funds as being his personal piggy bank.”
The report further details how Wilson was allegedly able to misdirect county receipts collected by his office to accounts that were improperly managed outside of the county treasury. The report mentions there is no legal authority that allows the sheriff to maintain these accounts outside the county treasury.
The Randolph County Commission was granted a temporary restraining order to prevent Wilson from accessing a bank account last October, according to previous reporting. Court documents say he made an unauthorized withdrawal of $7,000 at the time and was ordered to return the money and transfer all accounts to the general revenue fund.
Wilson was defeated in the August Republican primary for Randolph County sheriff, losing to Andy Boggs, who took 61% of the vote. Boggs was elected sheriff in November.
“Thankfully, the Sheriff’s Office is now in more competent hands and officials are working to put our recommendations in place so such an egregious breach of public trust cannot happen again,” Fitzpatrick said in the release. “When you take this report in combination with our previous report on the other aspects of Randolph County government, it’s clear county officials have a lot of work to do to regain the confidence of the people.”
After the report was released, the sheriff’s office and county commission released a joint statement on Facebook Tuesday afternoon.
“The findings in this report are serious and merit close attention. As a governing body, we have a responsibility to ensure that county operations are conducted in a manner consistent with the law, sound financial practices, and the expectations of the public we serve. While the Sheriff is an independently elected official, the County Commission is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance throughout all areas of county government.”
Both parties said they plan to fully cooperate with state and federal authorities during the investigation and are dedicated to restoring confidence in their systems and processes.
The investigation has been forwarded to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.
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