Clerk charged in fraud, theft; Pulaski County worker said to net $248,529 in scheme

Wanda Wyatt
Wanda Wyatt

A Pulaski County employee was arrested Tuesday morning on 153 charges of theft and fraud after being accused of pilfering nearly $250,000 from the county's vehicle insurance provider since 2008.

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Wanda Wyatt, 60, of Bryant was placed under arrest after admitting to investigators that she took part in an insurance-reporting scheme, according to an arrest report. She was being held at the Pulaski County jail Tuesday evening on 73 felony counts of theft and 80 felony counts of computer fraud related to submitting or accessing deposits online. Bail was set at $665,000.

Wyatt was a 17-year employee with the county's Public Works Department and, at the time of her arrest, was responsible for the maintenance of county vehicle records and processing insurance claims for all auto accidents, damage and repairs. On average, the county would submit 180 claims per year.

Wyatt is accused of submitting fraudulent accident claims involving falsified names to the insurance company. According to information provided by the county, the insurance company would then pay the claims and issue checks directly to Wyatt, who is accused of depositing the checks into her personal bank account.

Wyatt deposited $248,529 into her personal bank account with Bank of England, according to the police report.

On June 15, county officials were notified by the insurance provider, Central Arkansas Risk Management Association, of the scheme. According to the insurer, Wyatt's bank had noticed irregularities in the checks she was depositing and notified the company of the potential fraud.

"Checks were made payable to one individual, which were then endorsed and then secondarily endorsed by a Pulaski County employee and apparently deposited into her personal account," said Timothy Miles, risk adviser with Central Arkansas Risk Management.

"I believe that when she took them to the bank, those checks were endorsed by the named claimant," Miles said. "She, being a negotiable instrument, then endorses it with her name, deposits it into her account and thereby profited from those monies."

Bank of England President Gary Canada declined to comment, citing privacy rules.

County officials notified the Pulaski County sheriff's office, and Wyatt was arrested Tuesday in an investigation. County officials said she was fired.

"I don't even know where she was writing these fictitious claims. I don't know if she was sitting at her desk doing it or from her home. It's not anything that went through the county's paperwork procedures," Public Works Director Barbara Richard said. "She was using her position here with these insurance adjusters, who all knew her."

Wyatt is accused of committing the fraud sporadically throughout the past eight years, county spokesman Cozetta Jones said. The largest claim amounted to $10,000.

The county comptroller is looking into how the false claims may have affected the county's insurance rate.

"We're trying to figure out if there was any way we could have found this out," Jones said.

Wyatt was hired in 1999 and was promoted to fleet records clerk in 2001. Her salary as of 2016 was $28,044 a year, county officials said.

Metro on 06/22/2016

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