ARMSTRONG, Iowa — Officials in a small town in Iowa including the current mayor, police chief and city clerk, misappropriated money, falsified public records and used a stun gun on a resident for cash, investigators said after conducting a multi-year fraud investigation.
The Emmet County Sheriff’s Office said Mayor Greg Buum, police chief Craig Merrill, city clerk Tracie Lang, and former city clerk Connie Thackery were involved in the deception, KTIV reported.
“The investigation uncovered wrongdoing committed by the defendants, including but not limited to misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, deploying a TASER against a civilian in exchange for cash, and falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement,” the agency said.
Investigators said Buum, Merrill and Thackery were charged with ongoing criminal conduct. Lang was charged with fraudulent practice in the first degree. Buum, Thackery and Lang were taken into arrested Friday. Merrill was taken into custody in Minnesota on Saturday where he is awaiting extradition to Iowa, the sheriff’s office said.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case at the request of the county attorney because of a potential conflict of interest.
Investigators indicated there could be more arrests.
Cox Media Group
