Former Covington KY city official indicted, charged more than $150K for herself on employee credit cards, feds say
Published: Sun, 09/11/22
Former Covington KY city official indicted, charged more than $150K for herself on employee credit cards, feds say
City of Covington
Former Covington city official indicted, charged more than $150K for herself on employee credit cards, feds say
Fox 19 Now
By Jennifer Edwards Baker
Published: Sep. 9, 2022 at 9:09 AM GMT-6
Updated: Sep. 9, 2022 at 9:16 AM GMT-6
COVINGTON, Ky. (WXIX) - A former longtime Covington city official was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, local, state and federal authorities announced Friday.
Allison Donaldson, 49, quit her job as the administrative manager of the city’s public works department on March 4, the City of Covington said in a statement. She worked for the city since 2005, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
According to her indictment, Donaldson defrauded the city by using her position to access credit card information and charged more than $150,000 in purchases for herself and her home on employee credit cards between February 2020 and February of this year, according to her indictment.
The purchases include repairs for a Mercedes Benz, Crate & Barrel furniture, and designer counter stools.
Donaldson is scheduled to appear in federal court on Sept. 19.
The indictments are the result of investigations by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Kenton County Police Department.
In its statement, the City of Covington said they reported the irregularities to law enforcement and “cooperated fully with the investigation.” Read the city’s full statement from Mayor Joe Meyer below.
Donaldson faces up to 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud and up to two years on each count of aggravated identity theft.
She also faces judgments for restitution and forfeiture of the property she gained through the alleged fraud.
The City’s investigation revealed that Donaldson worked hard to mislead her fellow employees
She intentionally evaded the Finance Department’s internal controls. She abused the trust of her co-workers and supervisors so she could steal public money to supplement a luxurious lifestyle
She comes from a family that has sworn to uphold the law. It is shameful and disappointing behavior that deserves aggressive prosecution and punishment.
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer.