City employee charged with embezzling utility deposit money

Former Cape Girardeau city employee Robyn Taylor was charged Friday with stealing $632 from utility customers who opened accounts at city hall.

Taylor, 39, is accused of stealing the money between October 1 and Dec. 31 in her role as customer service representative. She allegedly pocketed cash deposits of $51 and $75 made to open trash, sewer and water accounts with the city. The two amounts are the required deposits for starting city service at a house or apartment.

Assistant to the city manager, Heather Brooks, said Taylor worked there for six months and the city began receiving complaints only after Taylor left of her own accord in December.

The city turned over the investigation to the Cape Girardeau Police Department after the complaints and an internal investigation connected the missing deposit amounts to accounts opened by Taylor.

Brooks said balances on each of the 10 mishandled accounts have been corrected and steps have been taken to prevent future thefts.

"We just corrected some loopholes," said Brooks.

The change means anyone opening an account with the city will receive a computer generated receipt with information entered into a central database. Previously, the receipts were handwritten.

Stealing is a class C felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Taylor's bond was set at $1,500.

Taylor was interviewed Thursday by Cape Girardeau Police as part of a monthlong investigation into the missing money. Police report she admitted stealing the deposits from customers. County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said he was first informed of the investigation Friday morning and received the police report Monday.

Taylor was not arrested last week because she was not determined to be a flight risk said Sgt. Barry Hovis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245