ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mo. – A St. Clair County Sheriff’s office employee was caught stealing small cash bonds over the past few years.

According to a St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office press release, Sheriff Lee Hilty was contacted by the Henry County Circuit Clerk with questions on some cash bonds they had not received from St. Clair County.

Sheriff Hilty discovered that an employee was stealing money from cash bond deposits.

The employee admitted to the theft and was placed on leave.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was asked to assist in the investigation and was able to determine the employee had been stealing small amounts of cash bonds even before Sheriff Hilty took over in 2021.

According to the release, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the employee was called in and terminated.  A detective reinterviewed the employee and they were arrested, booked and released, which is a court rule for subjects not posing a threat to citizens or a flight risk, on felony stealing charges.

Formal charges will be sent to the St. Clair County Prosecuting Attorney.