BEDFORD — Former Lawrence County Auditor Jessica Staggs is set to change her plea to guilty on August 12.
Staggs was initially arrested on August 12, 2024, facing one charge of official misconduct, a Level 6 felony. She had surrendered to authorities at the Lawrence County Jail without incident at 10:30 a.m. that morning, posting a $755 cash bond and being released by 11:40 a.m.
The change of plea hearing is scheduled to commence at 10:45 a.m. before Special Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff in Monroe County Division V Circuit Court.
The investigation into Staggs began in November 2023, when the Indiana State Police and the Indiana State Board of Accounts contacted Lawrence County Prosecutor Sam Arp regarding concerns about her handling of town funds. As a result, James Gallagher was appointed as a special prosecutor to review the case, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant for Staggs.
A Special Investigation Report from the State Board of Accounts uncovered that Staggs had allegedly failed to deposit more than $79,816.88 in utility receipts between January 1, 2015, and December 1, 2020. The report concluded that her actions constituted malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in her official duties.
Staggs had served as the Clerk-Treasurer for the town of Oolitic from October 2014 to December 2020. She later resigned from her position as Lawrence County Auditor in December 2023.
