WBIW.com News - local

Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana

Former Benton Township Trustee Appeared In Drug Court Wednesday Morning

Last updated on Thursday, October 24, 2013

(BLOOMINGTON) - Former Benton Township Trustee Heather Cohee appeared in Monroe County’s drug court Wednesday morning as part of an agreement in which she pleads guilty to official misconduct and theft for stealing more than $100,000 from the township and stealing a prescription pad and using it to obtain hydrocodone from Kroger pharmacies.

Cohee's sentence will be deferred for two years while she completes a drug treatment program. According to drug court administrator Steve Malone, the former trustee could face jail time if she violates the condition of her drug treatment.

Cohee admitted taking the prescription pad from a doctor's office where she had worked and from which she had been fired.
On June 18, Monroe Circuit Court Judge Michael Hoff signed a $362,115.97 judgment against Cohee.

The judgment amount is more than three times the amount of the financial loss suffered by the state, according to the document. Attorney General Greg Zoeller had initiated collections against Cohee to obtain any financial assets and reimburse the public treasury.

Cohee resigned in March 2012 amid criticism that she hired her husband and daughter to perform tens of thousands of dollars of work for the township without proper documentation.

She was also charged with theft and official misconduct.

Two state board of accounts audit discovered more than $35,900 in undocumented payments including credit card purchases for a gym membership, gas and food. According to the audits, Cohee owes more than $131,000 to the taxpayers.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click here to go back to previous page