TONTITOWN — The Tontitown recorder-treasurer and bookkeeper was arrested Thursday after Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigators closed City Hall and looked into the city’s accounting records, said Matt Durrett, prosecuting attorney.
Alicia Marie Collins, 32, of 247 S. Maestri Road in Springdale was arrested in connection with theft of property valued more than $25,000 and theft of services valued more than $1,000 but less than $5,000, according to an arrest warrant affidavit released Thursday by Durrett.
The amount of the theft of property could go up because the investigation is ongoing, Durrett said.
Collins was appointed to the elected position of city recorder-treasurer in 2013, after the elected official resigned, said Becky Lewallen, Washington County clerk. Alderman Joe Edgmon said Collins was also given the city’s bookkeeping responsibilities and paid as an employee.
The city bookkeeper salary is $41,742 with taxes and benefits, according to the 2015 Tontitown budget.
Collins’ arrest Thursday is linked to missing funds at the city, Durrett said.
The state Legislative Joint Auditing Committee found missing city water and sewer department funds in 2014 and 2015, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. An investigation showed more than $25,000 was missing between Jan. 1, 2013 and Wednesday, according to the affidavit.
Durrett said state auditors notified the Prosecutor’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office investigators found that Collins deposited large amounts of cash at her bank, according to the affidavit. Sometimes, the deposits matched the daily cash balance missing from the city, the affidavit said.
Customers paying with cash received receipts, and Collins and the office manager counted daily cash to reconcile the journal, according to the affidavit.
Collins was responsible for the city’s deposits, the affidavit said.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigators put $100 bills into the city’s public works cash drawers. One of the bills was later cashed for change, and several other bills were not deposited into the city’s bank, according to the affidavit.
Collins also credited her own water and sewer service bill without the city receiving payment on the account, according to the affidavit. Non-payment on those services amounted to more than $1,000 between Jan. 1, 2013 and Wednesday, according to the affidavit.
The city hired private accounting firms to do its yearly audits in 2011 and 2012, but now the state is working on a 2013 audit report, said Tim Jones, state audit manager.
Auditors do not comment on a report that has not been released, Jones said.
On Thursday morning, the Tontitown Administrative Offices building — which houses the water and sewer department — was locked as men combed through documents. Collins was inside with investigators around 11 a.m. and said City Hall was closed.
Jones could not say Thursday whether state auditors were in Tontitown with the Sheriff’s Office, he said.
Next door, the police department and the Town Hall were empty and most doors were locked.
Colvin was outside with an investigator at noon Thursday but said he couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation. He referred questions to Durrett.
Collins was booked Thursday afternoon into the Washington County Detention Center with a $25,000 bond.
Durrett said he didn’t know about any previous arrests or convictions for Collins, but the Sheriff’s Office shows Collins was booked at the detention center in connection with failure to appear for a traffic violation in 2010.