Former Nelsonville Mayor’s Court Clerk Indicted Following Investigation into Complaint Alleging Stolen City Funds

COLUMBUS — The Athens County Grand Jury has handed down an indictment against a former Nelsonville clerk on three criminal charges following an investigation into the alleged theft of city funds.

Jessica Mount faces a felony count of theft in office and misdemeanor counts of soliciting improper compensation and dereliction of duty, under the indictment filed in Athens County Common Pleas Court.

The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit received a complaint in April 2023 alleging the potential theft of city funds by Mount, who served as clerk for the Nelsonville Police Department and Mayor’s Court from November 2021 through December 2022.

SIU identified receipts for more than two dozen cash payments totaling about $5,000 through the Mayor’s Court that were signed by Mount but not deposited into a city bank account.

Mount is scheduled to be arraigned July 9.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 139 convictions resulting in more than $13 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov