Columbus – Former Franklin County Board of Elections Director William A. Anthony Jr. today pleaded guilty to a fifth-degree felony count of securing writings by deception.

Anthony approved time sheets for former fiscal officer Brenna Umbstaetter despite knowing they were inaccurate. Umbstaetter, who also pleaded guilty this morning to a misdemeanor count of falsification, was excessively absent for years without taking leave and received pay for the hours she did not work. The amount of the theft was in excess of $7,500.

“I recall when the grand jury returned the indictments against him, Mr. Anthony called the charges ‘bogus.’ His guilty plea today proves that was dishonest,” Auditor Yost said. “As a result of our work, he is now a convicted felon.”

The Auditor of State’s office was alerted to the illegal activity through a tip on its fraud hotline. Auditor of State Assistant Legal Counsel Robert Smith was appointed special prosecutor in the case.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Beth Gianforcaro
Press Secretary
614-644-1111