Five years after an investigation was launched into theft of Carthage Visitors and Convention Bureau money by its director Callie Myers, the case came to a close Monday as Myers entered an Alford plea to a reduced charge of misdemeanor stealing.
The original charge was felony stealing.
The Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney’s office filed the amended charge against Myers March 28, according to online court records.
Myers will pay a $2,000 fine and not receive any jail time.
According to the probable cause statement, Myers was accused of stealing more than $4,700 from the bureau, using the money for such items as clothing, groceries, cell phones, payments to her husband and daughter through Cash App, hair salon services, beauty items, lunches, dinners and alcohol at area restaurants.
The charges against Myers were filed after a former CVB employee Alexandria Hodkins discovered Myers appeared to be using CVB money for personal purposes, reported it to Traci Cox in the city administrator’s office. Cox took the information to former City Administrator Greg Dagnan, who was acting assistant city administrator at the time, according to the probable cause statement.
It took two years for the charges to be filed against Myers after the 2020 investigation. A year into the investigation, it was turned over to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
After the investigation was completed, it took another year before the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney’s office filed charges in October 2022.
Myers was represented by attorney Jonathan Pierce.
The case had been scheduled to go to trial October 10.
Originally appeared on The Turner Report
