Monticello Live

In August, MLive broke the story of $22,500 in missing money, linking Mayor Zack Tucker to an alleged false invoice from the Economic Development Fund of Monticello, billed to the city’s Advertising & Promotion Commission, for false charges.

Late last month, a city check for $6,500 was found, paid to Variety Attractions for country star John Michael Montgomery,  stating that it was a $6500 loan to the festival, that would be reimbursed when a local industry reimbursed the check.  When that industry paid the $5000 that they had actually pledged, it was not used as reimbursement, but went directly to the festival account.

Last week, MLive FOI’d  copies of $12,500 check written on behalf of the  Cornerstone Coalition of Southeast Arkansas to the Forest Festival.    Sources have confirmed that this $12,500 check was  not authorized by the organization, and although it was signed by its chairperson, the check was not used for its designated purpose.   The chairperson discovered the check, he demanded that Tucker repay it (which occurred a couple days later), and took Tucker’s office keys away from him.

Bank records indicate that the $12,500 was repaid using a $7500 check from the Economic Development Fund of Monticello’s Forestry Festival’s account and a $5000 check from the City of Monticello.

The Arkansas State Police recently concluded an investigation of Tucker’s activities,, in reference to the advertising and promotion commissions misappropriated $22,500 and bogus invoice.  Mayor Tucker was formally  charged with  tampering with public record and abuse of office.

The next legal action should be the reopening the investigation to include the $12,500 unauthorized use of the  cornerstone coalition funds.

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 at 12:43 am and is filed under City. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.