Holly Henegar is seen in this file photo.MISSING MONEYThe list below shows counties in Southeast and South Central Tennessee in which public funds went missing in recent years and amounts not recovered as of June 30, 2011.County // Originally missing // Still not recoveredCoffee // $4,768 // $4,768Cumberland // $10,330 // $8,893Franklin // $7,445 // 0Marion // $114,194 // $114,194Polk // $1,047 // $1,047Rhea // $5,297 // $5,297Sequatchie // $46,639 // $8,153Source: Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury
Tennessee’s Comptroller of the Treasury on Thursday released a report showing that Marion County — at $114,194 — accounts for nearly one-seventh of $736,694 in public funds still not recovered from $1.47 million missing from public coffers over the last several years.
A recent guilty plea in Marion County Circuit Court was an initial step toward recovering part of the money missing in the wake of an investigation of the county’s administrator of elections in 2010, records show.
A 2010 Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe led to felony theft charges against longtime Marion County elections administrator Holly Henegar. Henegar was under investigation for improperly issuing more than 107 checks to 34 individuals — some as young as 14 — for more than $27,000, the release from the comptroller’s report states.
On May 21, Henegar pleaded guilty to a felony charge of forgery between $1,000 and $10,000 before Circuit Court Judge Buddy Perry. She was sentenced to three years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and restitution of $10,000, Marion County court records show.