SPOKANE, Wash. — A former Spokane County worker was arraigned Wednesday on charges that she stole $1.38 million from the county, the state attorney general’s office said.
Rhonda Sue Ackerman was charged with first degree theft in Spokane County Superior Court.
Ackerman worked in Spokane County’s Department of Risk Management when the alleged fraud occurred between 2007 and 2016.
An internal investigation, a Washington State Auditor investigation and a criminal investigation by the attorney general’s office and the Spokane Police Department identified the alleged fraud.
Court documents allege that Ackerman filed fake claims on behalf of 45 different people and requested claims from her own office. She then allegedly directed the claimants to cash the checks and deliver the money back to her.
Many of the claimants were relatives or friends of her son, the attorney general’s office said.
The attorney general’s office said Ackerman allegedly obtained $1.38 million over a 10-year period.
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