NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — After thousands of dollars were found to be unaccounted for, the director of Jessamine County Animal Care and Control is facing a felony charge.
Timothy Brown, 35, was indicted in November on a count of abuse of public trust, according to court records. He has been relieved of his duties with the county’s animal shelter, according to county officials.
Brown is accused of not directing money given to the shelter to the county’s Fiscal Court, which funds the shelter, said Chief Deputy Anthony Purcell of the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office.
“Basically, he was running a quasi-cash business out of the Jessamine County Animal Shelter,” Purcell said. “Which he knew was not appropriate, which is not allowed.”
The money at the center of the allegations included funds from adoption drives, donations, and other cash that was coming into the shelter, Purcell said.
Just over $20,000 was found to be unaccounted for over the course of about a year, Purcell said.
New safeguards have since been put in place to ensure that all the money going into the shelter goes where it’s supposed to, Purcell said. Signs are now posted at the shelter informing people that cash is not an accepted form of payment.
Brown’s attorney, Dan Carmen, said Wednesday that he had no comment on the allegations at this time.
