By Magnolia Mornings, Magnolia Tribune
State Auditor Shad White announced Friday that Special Agents from his office have arrested Brooksville Mayor Earlie Henley and former Brooksville City Clerk Shaquita Malone for allegedly embezzling funds from the City of Brooksville.
According to White’s office, Henley allegedly drafted checks made out to himself without the signature authority of a second signer. Henley also allegedly took cash withdrawal slips to the bank to withdraw and pocketed cash from the city’s accounts.
As for Malone, the Auditor says she allegedly entered herself into the payroll system as an hourly employee rather than a salaried employee as hired and then increased her hourly rate to receive funds she was not entitled or authorized to receive. Agents also discovered Malone is a convicted felon and therefore ineligible to be employed as a City Clerk.
If convicted, both Henley and Malone face up to $5,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison. The Auditor noted that all persons arrested by the office are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.