A trustee for Henry County’s Liberty Township is being charged with theft after a state investigation says she overpaid her own salary.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

State police say 61-year-old Phyllis Shafer overpaid herself around $9,000 between the years 2013 and 2015.  Shafer began her elected roll as Liberty Township Trustee in 2011 and was re-elected to the post.  Her term is set to expire in 2018.

Public Information Sergeant John Bowling says state police began investigating after a State Board of Accounts audit found missing money.  That audit report was completed in May of last year.  It says since Shafer served as both township executive and fiscal officer, no one regularly oversaw her work and therefore didn’t spot “fraudulent payments and improper recordkeeping.”

A warrant from the Henry County prosecutor’s office names six charges of theft and two “official misconduct” charges, both felonies and misdemeanors.  Shafer has not commented on the 2016 report or the new charges.  But, county documents show she did previously make one payment to the township for salary overpayment of about $1,300.