Former county official to pay restitution early

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A lawyer for former county economic development director Teresa Huffman said Huffman will deposit $46,870.89 with Marion County District Court to be held until a criminal case against her is resolved.

Huffman, scheduled for arraignment at 10 a.m. Dec. 12, is charged with misuse of public funds, based on the allegation that she withdrew that amount of money from bank accounts of inactive programs in March 2016 and deposited it into her personal bank account in May 2018.

Huffman waived a preliminary hearing on the charges, but Wichita lawyer John Stang said she would deposit the money with the court as restitution in the event she is later found guilty.

Huffman resigned her post with the county in May 2017.

A probable cause affidavit filed by sheriff Rob Craft to support the criminal charge against Huffman states that she drained the account of Leadership Marion County and Leadership Marion County Children’s Fund in March 2016, depositing the money into an account for Flint Hills Resource Conservation and Development Area, another inactive non-profit program.

Craft’s affidavit continues that on May 1, Huffman wrote a $46,870.89 check payable to herself and deposited it into a personal account and a check for $14,000 payable to Chuck Hill from the personal account.