Arkansas official's ex-aide accused of using county money to buy Hogs tickets, dog's tuxedo

Goss
Goss

A former administrative assistant for the county judge of Garland County is accused of using the county’s credit card for personal use, including reportedly buying Razorback game tickets and a tuxedo for her dog.

The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs reported that Kristi Lyn Goss, 43, surrendered to authorities Tuesday on six felony counts of fraud after a months-long investigation that began when the county's financial department uncovered financial irregularities in May.

Four counts involved amounts more than $25,000, with the remaining two counts related to amounts more than $5,000, according to the newspaper.

Goss was later released from the Garland County jail on $50,000 bail, records show.

According to the affidavit, legislative auditor Jimmy Locke told David Moss, a special agent with the Arkansas State Police, that 3,722 charges had been made on the credit card between December 2011 and May 2016.

Investigators determined that the unauthorized purchases totaled more than $160,000, the Sentinel-Record reported.

The affidavit listed some of those buys as $975 in Arkansas Razorback game tickets, hotel gift cards totaling $1,850, a $128.98 diamond bracelet, $87.98 sequin throw pillows and personal payments to Entergy totaling $4,400 and to AT&T for nearly $5,000.

Other items included purchases on Amazon.com for clothes and a tuxedo for Goss' dog that coincided with when Goss' children attended prom, the county's human resources director, Valerie Dodge, told Moss.

Garland County Judge Ricky Davis said in a statement that, after learning of the irregularities, "appropriate actions were immediately taken with full cooperation with the appropriate authorities."

Goss, who was officially terminated June 3, had been employed by the county since 2004. She started her work under Larry Williams, the former county judge of Garland County.

Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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Information for this report was contributed by Steven Mross of the Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs.

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