East Texas

By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer

RUSK - A former Rusk employee was sentenced to 10 years probation and fined $5,000 Wednesday for embezzling $143,000 in city funds.

Doris Robinson, a former utility clerk, pleaded guilty in 369th District Judge Bascom Bentley III's court to theft of property greater than $100,000 but less than $200,000 by a public servant, a first-degree felony.

She paid $50,000 back to the city Wednesday before her sentence was determined.

The money was taken between August 2004 and about Sept. 2006, according to an indictment. District Attorney Elmer Beck-worth said the city became aware of what was going on partly because of a missing deposit.

"Money would come in, so much (in) cash and checks. (When the money was deposited), the amount balanced, but you'd have a small amount of cash and a whole bunch of checks," he said. "Some of the checks were just kept on her desk. She didn't deposit things every day. They stayed on her desk, in her desk, in her safe. She made adjustments for whole accounts ... and they just wouldn't get billed, they'd get credited ..."

An audit and Texas Rangers' investigation were conducted, and Mrs. Robinson was eventually terminated by the city.

Defense attorney John Green said Mrs. Robinson decided to plead guilty so she would have a better chance of getting probation instead of a jail sentence.

Before deciding on a proper punishment for Mrs. Robinson, a Cherokee County jury heard opening statements, along with testimonies from witnesses.

First to take the stand was Rusk employee Roslyn Brown.

Ms. Brown said Mrs. Robinson was the only person she saw ever make adjustments, meaning she had authority to increase or decrease credit balances on someone's account if needed.

When asked if there were times when an entire amount of a bill was adjusted, Ms. Brown replied "yes."

Certified Public Accountant Anita Woodlee said a cash drawer for the city's water department was implemented in 2004, and she spot-checked the account in 2006 after the city discovered a deposit was missing. Ms. Woodlee also confirmed money was received and not deposited.

Another CPA, David Stafford, said he found $143,000 missing when he did a fraud exam for Rusk in 2006.

Rusk City Manager Mike Murray was asked if employees ever cashed checks from the cash drawer when Mrs. Robinson was there, to which Murray replied "yes ... no more than once a week."

The defense brought in friends and family members of Mrs. Robinson to testify.

Horace Williams, pastor of Sweet Union Baptist Church, said Mrs. Robinson is an active member at the church and is "a good Christian woman."

Charles Doty said he has known Mrs. Robinson since she was a teenager.

"I'm here because I care about Doris," he said.

When asked if he was aware of any health issues with Mrs. Robinson, Doty said she has diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Odell Hinton has known Mrs. Robinson for 43 years and said she works hard and has always had two or three jobs.

If Mrs. Robinson got probation and had to pay the remaining $93,000 in restitution, he said he could lend her up to $100,000 if there was an emergency and she couldn't pay.

Mrs. Robinson's daughter Tracy said her mother worked so she and her two siblings could go to college.

Tracy said her mother worked so she and her two siblings could go to college.

"I'm a new mom. I need my mom," she said. "I don't know what I would do without her."

If her mother needed help paying restitution, she and her siblings would help her, Tracy said.

Mrs. Robinson's husband and Jacksonville Councilman Hubert Robinson said his wife contributes to the community and has never been arrested for a felony before.

When asked if she has received any training as a bookkeeper or accountant, his reply was "no."

He also said Mrs. Robinson is not mentally, emotionally or physically ready for prison.

"We'd miss her (if she went to prison)," Robinson said. "She is the backbone of our family."

The Robinsons have three children and six grandchildren.

After about an hour of deliberation, the jury handed over their verdict.

Judge Bentley ordered Mrs. Robinson to pay back the remaining restitution money in the next four years, with at least $10,000 being paid each year.

"You're under my supervision. You have to pay it back. I don't care what it takes," he said.

Mrs. Robinson was also instructed to be in her home from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, unless she is at work, and to stay away from City Hall.