BEDFORD — Former Lawrence County Auditor Jessica Staggs has pleaded guilty to official misconduct, a Level 6 felony, stemming from her tenure as the Clerk-Treasurer for the town of Oolitic.
Staggs appeared before Special Judge Mary Ellen Diekhoff in Monroe County Division V Circuit Court for sentencing. The court ordered Staggs to pay significant restitution and placed her on supervised probation.
The investigation began in November 2023 after the Indiana State Police and the Indiana State Board of Accounts contacted Lawrence County Prosecutor Sam Arp regarding concerns over the handling of town funds. Special Prosecutor James Gallagher was later appointed to review the case, which led to an arrest warrant for Staggs. She was initially arrested on August 12, 2024, surrendering to authorities at the Lawrence County Jail.
Judge Diekhoff sentenced Staggs to a term of 365 days, with all but one day suspended, resulting in a credit for one day served. Staggs will serve her probation in Monroe County and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $124,760.21 and court costs of of $189.00.
Both restitution and court costs will be managed through the Lawrence County Clerk’s office as a term of her probation.
The charges relate to Staggs’ time serving as the Clerk-Treasurer for the town of Oolitic from October 2014 to December 2020. 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 Staggs’ conduct constituted malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in her official duties. Staggs later resigned from her subsequent position as Lawrence County Auditor.
