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Last updated on Thursday, August 7, 2014
(SPENCER) - Owen Circuit Court Judge Lori Quillen on Monday refused to accept a plea agreement for former Monroe County Auditor Amy Gerstman.
Gerstman is facing criminal charges after using $11,000 in taxpayer money for personal expenses.
Judge Quillen was okay with parts of the guilty plea agreement, but no happy with other portions of the agreement.
The penalties in agreement have not been released, though special prosecutor Barry Brown told the Herald-Times that the judge wanted Gerstman to face greater punishment.
Gerstman served as the Monroe County auditor from 2009 to 2012.
In May 2013, Gerstman was charged with seven felonies, including six counts of theft and one count of official misconduct, in connection with $11,000 in personal purchases made on her county-issued Visa credit card during 2010 adn 2011.
According to court records Gerstman is accused of using taxpayer money for women's clothing, airline tickets and hotel accommodations for a personal trip to Key West, Fla., school tuition for her children at Harmony School and her Indiana University Alumni Association membership dues.
Some officials called for Gerstman's resignation after a State Board of Accounts audit revealed she used county credit cards to charge thousands of dollars in personal expenses. However she did not resign and was allowed to serve out her entire four-year term.
According to Gerstman's lawyer, Ron Chapman, Gerstman has paid back the money.
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