CAMERON—A former Milam County Jail Captain has pleaded guilty to a series of thefts from the sheriff’s department over a three-year period and will be sentenced this summer.
Prosecutor Bill Torrey said 43-year-old Katrina Carie Douglas of Temple submitted an “open” plea before Judge John Young-blood Wednesday, April 4, in 2oth District Court.
Douglas had not been employed by the sheriff’s department for almost a year when she was arrested in Temple Dec. 21, 2017.
THEFT—She was charged with theft ($2,500 to $150,000).
Torrey said sentencing and restitution will be determined by the court after a pre-sentencing investigation and a sentencing hearing.
He said the state is seeking restitution of approximately $40,000 in stolen funds and $15,000 to Milam County for reimbursement of the cost of audit funds.
Torrey said the sentencing hearing has been set for 1:30 p.m. June 21.
PROBE—Sheriff David Greene said the department began investigating missing funds in 2017 after Douglas resigned in January and discrepancies came to light.
The probe went on two to three months and was then turned over to the Texas Rangers.
“We did not need to be investigating ourselves,” Greene said.
The audit was also part of the probe.
Greene said officials believe all the money was taken from an inmate trust fund which represents money inmates turn in when they are booked into the facility.
“That’s the only cash we have on hand in the jail,” Greene said. “There was never any tax money involved in this situation.”
Greene said an insurance policy to handle the situation is in place. He said safeguards, already in place, have been tightened and strengthened.
In May, 2009, Douglas was presented the Texas Jail Associations Correctional Offi cer of the Year award at the group’s annual conference in Austin, beating out 253 other nominees from all Texas counties.
The investigation was led by Milam Chief Deputy Chris White in conjunction with the Texas Rangers.
THIRD—Douglas is the third Milam County employee in just over two years to be convicted in connection with missing county funds.
In December, 2015, former County Tax Collector Kollette Morgan pleaded no contest to attempted theft and was sentenced to three years deferred adjudication probation and fi ned $2,500 plus court costs.
Next month former County Treasurer Donna Orsag will be sentenced after she made an open guilty plea to the court on a charge of tampering/fabricating physical evidence.
That charge involved allegations that she “fl oat-ed” money—essentially loaning herself money at no interest—from deposits and then destroyed email and records on a computer hard drive to cover it up.
The state is recommending five years probation a 180-day term, a $10,000 fi ne and court costs.
Another case involving two more former county employees is pending.
Mother and daughter Lydia and Laura Cervantez, former tax office employees, were charged in January with giving a false name, false information and forgery in connection with documents coming through the office.
They were indicted in February by a Milam County Grand Jury.
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