DA: Women stole more than $30,000 from water authority
The former employees were indicted by a grand jury and turned themselves in last week.
Two women have been indicted in a case where prosecutors say they stole more than $30,000 from the Polk County Water Authority while they were employed with the utility. Allison Danielle Blackwell, 46, of Silver Creek, and Alisa Jill Price, 55, of Cedartown, turned themselves in to authorities Wednesday, March 22, after a warrant was issued for their arrest following a Polk County grand jury’s indictment of both on felony charges of theft by taking, theft by deception and making false statements or writings.
According to the presentation to the grand jury by the Polk County District Attorney’s Office, the two women are accused of defrauding the utility out of more than $30,000 by falsifying information regarding their pay between January 2016 and May 2019.
The presentment specifies that both women created the impression they were owed money for personal leave, sick leave, vacation, compensatory time and non-payroll related compensation in excess of that which the two were entitled to receive.
Price is accused of receiving more than $25,000 in excess pay, while Blackwell is accused of receiving more than $5,000.
The grand jury, which was in session the week of March 13, provided a true bill for both women. Warrants were issued by the district attorney’s office on Tuesday. They were each released on $20,000 bond.
Jack Browning, district attorney for the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit which includes Polk County, said Thursday the water authority brought the matter to his office’s attention after discovering some irregularities.
Browning requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conduct a forensic financial audit of the utility, where more evidence about the crime was discovered. A GBI agent was a witness for this case during the grand jury session.
Browning was not able to provide further details due to the continuing status of the case.
The Polk County Water Authority is an individual authority separate from the Polk County government. It supplies drinking water and sewer services to the unincorporated portions of the county.