KINGSLAND, Ark. – There is a new set of checks and balances in place after a small town treasurer is accused of improperly using the city’s credit card.
It happened in the birthplace of Johnny Cash, in Kingsland, Arkansas.
It’s also the home to just under 500 people. It’s a place where everyone knows everyone. That’s why it was a shock to Dustin Gann that the city’s treasurer Sandra Leann Huntley is accused of using Kingsland’s credit card for personal use.
“We don’t get a lot of money as it is because it’s a small community and every little bit helps,” Gann said.
Prosecutors allege between November 2014 and June 2018, she charged more than $12,000 to the city’s credit cards.
“When people grow up here and you know them all your life, you just don’t expect it,” said Kingsland city council member Sharon Crossly.
She says Huntley resigned as treasurer in 2018. She was officially charged this week with three separate felonies.
“It just blows me away because I think, ‘you think you’re going to get away with this forever.’ It doesn’t make any sense at all, to me,” she said.
Thursday night, the council voted to put a new system of checks and balances in place to prevent this from happening again.
“We have the safeguards up now. We have more than one person looking at the invoices and the checks,” said Crossly.
She’s confident this is the last time someone will steal Kingsland’s public funds.
“It won’t be able to happen again especially with this new computer system,” said Crossly.
Gann hopes it won’t either because that money could be used elsewhere.
“That’s new gear for the firefighters and that’s repairs on the water tower that needs to be done.”
Huntley has been released on bond. Her first court appearance is in two weeks.
