10/27/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released the following statement in response to the sentencing of a former Webster County employee who pleaded guilty to a Class C Felony for his role in defrauding the county out of thousands of dollars.
"These actions represent a serious abuse of public resources, and reveal a lack of oversight that contributed to this fraud in Webster County. When those in positions of public trust abuse their power, they must be held accountable. County officials have since worked with audit staff and law enforcement authorities to bring justice and recover the stolen taxpayer dollars. A judge has ordered the money to be repaid in full, and it's now up to leaders in Webster County to ensure protections are put into place to protect taxpayers and to prevent this kind of abuse of power from happening again."
Billy Breitenstein served as the administrative assistant to the Webster County Clerk until July of 2013. After being terminated from his positon for unrelated reasons, the county clerk discovered Breitenstein had fraudulently obtained a county credit card, which he used to make personal purchases. The State Auditor's Office conducted a review and determined Breitenstein made $17,676 in purchases with county credit cards, charge accounts, and checks over a period of several years. Some of the items were later discovered in his work area at the county courthouse. A law enforcement investigation located additional stolen property at Breitenstein's home.
Breitenstein pleaded guilty to a Class C Felony for receiving stolen property. He has been ordered to pay $17,676 in restitution and sentenced to 5 years of probation.
The initial audit was conducted in 2014 under the leadership of former Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich. Since taking office in 2015, Auditor Galloway has pursued additional review and coordination with law enforcement in the case. In addition to being a CPA, Auditor Galloway is also a Certified Fraud Examiner, and has placed an emphasis on identifying fraud in government and holding those responsible accountable.
