Former Poolville ISD worker charged with embezzlement in Texas

A former Poolville ISD employee was arrested Aug. 3 on accusations of embezzlement from the district.




A former secretary at the elementary school, Deborah Talley Jones, 49, has been charged with theft, more than $1,500, less than $20,000, a state jail felony.



According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Jones is accused of taking more than $16,400 from the school’s activity fund without the consent of the school between July 2007 and May 2011.



Poolville superintendent Jimmie Dobbs reported the alleged theft to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office July 26, according to court records.



During an interview at Jones’ home Aug. 1, Jones reportedly admitted to taking 12 to 13 questionable disbursements from the account totaling more than $9,100, according to the affidavit.



Jones reportedly admitted to taking checks paid to cash, Toney Jones, Debbie Jones or Weatherford National Bank four times during the 2008, totaling $5,275, once for $250 in 2009, four times in 2010, totaling $1,567.55 and five or six times in 2011, totaling around $2,000.



Checks for thousands of dollars listed bookshelves as the items purchased, according to the probable cause affidavit.



Others listed staff Christmas cards, snacks, teacher gifts, break room and office supplies, staff lunch and summer pay as the reason for the check.



Jones worked for the district from August 1998 to June 8, when she resigned, Dobbs said.



Dobbs declined to talk about why the alleged thefts went on for years and how they were discovered.



“I would consider this a personnel issue,” Dobbs said. “Our practice is not to comment publicly on personnel [matters].”



Dobbs also said he does not want to hinder the criminal investigation.



Each campus has a checking account for the activity fund, according to Dobbs.



Monies in the account come from various fundraisers and funds are supposed to be used for a variety of things such as field trips or school supplies for classes, Dobbs said.



The checking accounts are audited annually, Dobbs said.



However, the school district is now moving some of the account oversight to the district’s central office, according to Dobbs.



The policy changes are being put in place because they need to be in place, not because something happened, Dobbs said.



The Democrat was unable to reach Jones for comment Thursday