Officials in Bazetta Township there are calling on Martha Yoder and the Trumbull County Auditors Office to make things right.

"If the proper policies were in place in the auditor's office--this would've never occurred.", said Michael Hovis, Bazetta Township Trustee.

The attorney representing Bazetta sent a letter to the auditor's office laying out the sequence of events, showing that the fiscal officer was informed that tax dollars were deposited in a new bank, but that the township didn't have a new bank. A deposit of more than 80,000 dollars Hovis says there a list of banks that are approved on the state treasurer's website.

"You click on that link and the GreenDot bank where our money went is not an approved bank.", Hovis added. One of many red flags that Hovis says were pretty obvious "Some of the emails were spelled incorrectly."

Red Flags that were sent to auditor's offices across the state in 2023 and 2024 .

Hovis says he approached Trumbull County Commissioners after attempts to reach the auditor fell through.

"We're a transparent form of government in Bazetta. That's what we do and we're not hiding nothing. We're just short $80,857.

Bazetta's attorney, Cherry Poteet, sent Yoder a letter questioning why Yoder's office would have turned over the money to a "new bank" without checking with Bazetta first, particularly an online bank. 

Poteet also pointed out that there was a phone number that did not match Bazetta's, but that no one in the auditor's office ever bothered to question that or check the number. 

"You told the township that an employee of your office complied with instructions received in a fraudulent email to send the Bazetta Township money to an internet bank account. On September 3, 2024, your office provided Bazetta township with a printout showing your office made seven deposits of tax money totaling $80,857.18 to this internet bank between August 16 and August 23......All of this could have been avoided with security protocols and procedures expected of a public official responsible for millions of tax dollars," Poteet wrote. 

She went on to point out that the email purporting to be from Bazetta was misspelled. 

 

Martha Yoder responded to the letter,  saying her only comment at this time is that it is aggressive, confrontational and inaccurate.

"On September 3, 2024 my office became aware of irregularities with emails received by my office from the fiscal officer of Bazetta township.  Since that time the matter has been under investigation by both the Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.  My office and staff have been fully cooperative in that investigation.  My office is currently following the process to obtain legal representation.  With regard to the letter from Bazetta Township’s legal counsel, my only comment at this time is that it is aggressive, confrontational, and inaccurate." - Martha Yoder, Trumbull County Auditor