Former Creola Alabama police chief, city clerk accused of stealing more than $75,000 from city
Creola AL December 25 2019 The former chief of police in Creola and a former city clerk for both Creola and Prichard were arrested and charged with first-degree theft of property and an ethics violation on Friday, December 20.
The investigation was initially launched in July 2019. The Mobile District Attorney’s Office brought in the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office to assist in the investigation after the complaint was brought to their office.
The investigation revealed that Kim Green, 49, and Chief Jerry Taylor, 54, received numerous unexplained checks and duplicate checks from the city of Creola that were not consistent with scheduled pay periods.
It is believed the unexplained payments came between January 2013 and March 2017.
Green is being charged for allegedly stealing more than $39,000 for logging hours she did not work. She has already plead guilty to stealing over $400,000 from both cities, according to court documents.
Kim Wright Green stole cash and embezzled funds from Creola and Prichard, federal prosecutors said.
Taylor allegedly stole over $29,000 though improperly receiving money through payment requests.
The ethics violation that Green and Taylor are claimed to have violated is Alabama Code 1975 36-25-5 which is the use of official position or office for personal gain.
Ashley Rich, district attorney for the city of Mobile stated that the state charges against Green and Taylor are “independent” from the federal charges that have or will be brought up against them.
“The victims in this case are the hard-working members of the communities of Creola and Prichard who are taxpayer citizens who had people working in their own city halls that were stealing from them,” said Ashley Rich, district attorney for the city of Mobile.
Jerry Taylor was the police chief of Creola from 2005 to 2016. In his time as police chief and public safety director for Creola, he was also directing public safety for the police and fire departments in Mount Vernon.
Taylor took the role as police chief for the Jackson Police Department in late 2016 and was appointed public safety director in June of 2018.
“Jerry Taylor is doing a great job as Jackson Police Chief and director of public safety,” said Paul South, mayor of Jackson, Alabama. “He is still Jackson’s police chief and will be. We stand by him and in support of him.”
Both Taylor and Green were released from Mobile Metro Jail on Friday on $15,000 bond. The date and time for the arraignment hearing for Green and Taylor haven’t been announced.
AL.com
