City clerk charged with fraud, burning down City Hall

City clerk charged with fraud, burning down City Hall

Associated Press

DES MOINES — The former city clerk for the small western Iowa city of Casey has been indicted on federal charges alleging she used city funds for personal use and burned down City Hall the night before state auditors were to arrive to investigate missing money, prosecutors said Wednesday. Dorothy Dillinger was indicted on five counts of mail fraud and one count of malicious use of fire, federal court records filed Tuesday in Des Moines show. She is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 30. The records don't list an attorney for her, and Dillinger could not be reached Wednesday. She has moved to Prairie City, but has no apparent listed telephone number.

Dillinger served as the city clerk for 30 years in Casey, which is about 50 miles west of Des Moines.

From about 2009 through August 2014, Dillinger used the city's credit card to buy personal items valued at more than $54,000 from Walmart, Target, Victoria's Secret and Avon, the indictment said.

She covered up the purchases by providing the city council a false list of bills and disbursements.

When auditors were due to investigate the clerk's office in 2014, Dillinger attempted to destroy the community building in Casey housing the city's office on Aug. 19 or Aug. 20, the indictment said.

By David Pitt