Lawrenceburg, IN—Attorney General Curtis Hill won a civil case against Ohio Casualty Insurance Company to recover $224,690 misappropriated by former Lawrenceburg Clerk-Treasurer Theresa L. Bruening.
In 2017, the Office of the Attorney General filed a civil complaint against Bruening and Ohio Casualty, the provider of two crime insurance policies to the City of Lawrenceburg in Dearborn County. Bruening had pleaded guilty in federal court for wire fraud relating to unauthorized payroll checks, excess payroll contributions and duplicative payroll payments issued to herself. The State Board of Accounts charged Bruening with misappropriating public funds.
In the civil case, Ohio Casualty claimed that its policies did not cover Bruening’s actions. Further, it claimed that even if its policies were applicable, too much time had elapsed since the misappropriation for it to be held liable. Dearborn Superior Court did not agree with Ohio Casualty and found the policies at issue to cover Bruening’s actions and entered judgment in favor of the state.
“We must always hold accountable those who illegally siphon money for themselves from the public treasury,” Attorney General Hill said. “Our office will continue seeking to recoup taxpayer dollars when public funds have been misappropriated.”
