MCKINNEY, Texas — Six Collin County employees are facing felony charges after they were indicted for theft and falsifying time and attendance records.
Among the suspects is the woman who recently won the district clerk's race and was set to take office in January.
The six indicted women are all deputy clerks, supervisors in the Collin County District Clerk's office. They each face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity, including tampering with government records and theft
Chief Deputy District Clerk Patricia Crigger recently won the Republican race for district clerk and has no Democratic opponent.
“We have to get the district clerk's office where it should be, which is trusted by citizens and trusted by the county and that will not happen as long as these allegations are floating around," said Bill Baumbach, who owns the Collin County Observer.
Texas Rangers and other Department of Public Safety officers raided the clerk’s office on June 2, taking records and other evidence.
According to the indictment, the six employees faked time cards that recorded their hours at times they weren't actually working.
“The theory of the prosecution's case is that they were paid for time when they were not at work and they made false entries to the county treasury, which would disperse payroll checks," said George Milner III, who is representing one of the deputy clerks, Lori Robertson.
Robertson is facing felony charges, along with fellow deputy clerks Rebecca Litrell, Sherry Bell, Amy Mathis and Marcia Simpson.
“I feel confident that when this is over the truth and all of it will come out," Milner said.
Baumbach is urging Crigger to withdraw from the race.
“If she's convicted of a felony that's an absolute bar, she cannot take office," he said. "She won’t be qualified."
Crigger did not return phone calls from WFAA on Friday.
All six women were arrested and released from the Collin County Jail. If convicted on second degree felony charges, they could face between two to 20 years in prison.
E-mail: sstoler@wfaa.com
