Small-Town NorCal Treasurer Charged

YREKA, Calif. (CN) - The former treasurer of Tulelake, Calif. was arraigned Jan. 2 in Siskiyou County Superior Court on charges of appropriating public money, false records regarding public money, public officer crime, and criminal assessment, according to online court records.

Kim Marie Keiser, former treasurer of the small northern California town, entered a plea of not guilty and is represented by the Siskiyou County Public Defender's Office, according to court records.

Tulelake Chief of Police Tony Ross told Courthouse News that Keiser was fired from her paid position and resigned from her elected position in July, after discrepancies with the books came to light in late June.

"Over the last ten years, the bookkeeping system at the city has been inadequate," Ross said. The city of Tulelake began upgrading its billing system and equipment beginning in July 2010 and the improvements were fully implemented a year later, Ross said. The city's Financial Manager, Charles Pillon, who also works as a missionary, began reconciling accounts when he returned from a trip to Thailand in June, 2012, Ross said. He discovered irregularities that had taken place during his absence and provided the Tulelake Police Department with an information packet about what he had found, Ross said. When the department completed its investigation, the District Attorney's Office provided Keiser with a letter requesting her appearance in court, and she complied, Ross said.

Siskiyou County is in northern California along the Oregon border.

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