Mohave County Community College District—Theft and Misuse of Public Monies

As part of its responsibility to prevent and detect fraud, the Mohave County Community College District (District) administrators took appropriate action by reporting a fraud allegation to our Office. Consequently we conducted an investigation revealing that from October 2012 to April 2013, Trisha Moon, former district clerk at the Dental Hygiene Clinic (dental clinic), may have violated state laws related to theft, misuse of public monies, fraudulent schemes, and computer tampering when she embezzled $1,849 of district dental clinic cash payments. Specifically, Ms. Moon took for herself 46 cash payments made by dental clinic patients that should have been deposited in district accounts for the benefit of the dental clinic and its students. Ms. Moon was able to conceal her actions because she took advantage of the District’s inadequate controls over collecting, recording, and depositing dental clinic monies and manipulated the dental clinic’s computer program information and deposit records without being detected. On June 24, 2016, the Mohave County Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint with the Bullhead City Justice Court, alleging that Ms. Moon committed theft, misuse of public monies, fraudulent schemes, and computer tampering against the District.