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Judge Rejects Arrest Warrant For Employee In Case Of $11,000 Missing From Town Of Century
May 29, 2025
An Escambia County judge declined to issue an arrest warrant in connection with the alleged theft of over $10,000 from the Town of Century.
In March 2025, then-interim mayor Alecia Johnson reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that there were six missing deposits totaling $11,000 from the Town of Century to their bank account at United Bank in Flomaton.
Johnson told deputies that one town employee was solely responsible for making the deposits, but the employee had denied taking anything. The individual is no longer employed by the town.
In late February 2025, the town received a letter from Whataburger stating that their utility payment from July 23, 2024, had not cleared their bank. Current Town Clerk Carrie Moore told an ECSO investigator that a review of the town’s records and bank transactions confirmed that on multiple dates, utility payments received from residents and businesses were not deposited into the Town of Century’s bank account. Moore said, however, that the residential and business accounts were credited, according to an ECSO report obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
The Town of Century’s internal investigation revealed that the now former employee, “who was solely responsible for making the town’s daily deposits into the Town of Century’s bank account, failed to do her duty in a timely and consistent manner resulting in the missing deposits exceeding $11,000.”
In a meeting with interim mayor, town clerk and town manager on March 3, the former employee “admitted that she did not make deposits daily and on multiple occasions she held the deposits for several days before taking them to the bank,” the ECSO report states. Whataburger and other utility customers were credited for payments.
The former employee stated she was either “sick or gone from work for some reason”, the ECSO report states, but the investigator found she was walking on the dates of the missing deposits. The Town of Century report shows that of the seven missing deposits there is a total of $2,627.90 in cash and $8,432.51 in checks for a total of $11,060.41 not deposited into their account.
On March 10, the former employee told the ECSO investigator that she was seeking legal counsel and would speak at that point. The ECSO report noted that she never made additional contact with investigators, and their attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.
The ECSO received subpoenaed documentation and surveillance video of the night deposits from United Bank.
The internal Town of Century report, records of daily deposits and corresponding transactions, the former employee’s time sheets, Town of Century monthly bank statements and thumb drive of surveillance video were placed into evidence as the ECSO submitted a warrant affidavit seeking an arrest warrant for the former employee.
Escambia County Judge Scott Ritchie rejected the warrant affidavit for the former employe, according to a supplemental ECSO report, closing the investigation. A reason was not specified.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
15 Responses to “Judge Rejects Arrest Warrant For Employee In Case Of $11,000 Missing From Town Of Century”
If a sole employee was responsible, with access to the cities bank drops, I would think he/she would be very high on the suspect list. Given that he/she has a history of delayed bank deposits re-enforces this. This is all supported by an examination of the employee’s time sheets and days worked. I’m surprised ECSO did not obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s car and home. All that would be required for the arrest warrant would be a single check, not deposited.
I’m hoping this is the judge’s reasoning and not a more nefarious reason on his part.
Escambia County judges are inept at every level. Ridiculous.
To Molino resident you are not innocent until proven guilty you are presumed innocent until proving guilty, a big difference.
In answer to Concerned Citizen, Not special just not guilty.
@molino resident
If this employee is so innocent, where are the missing checks and missing cash? If they don’t magically appear, it’s theft.
Also, that employee is the epitome of gross negligence and unbelievable incompetence.
At least a judge actually looked over the facts in front of him or her . Most of the time it’s just signed and away someone goes .
This is Pensacola’s fault-we are the Bank of Century!!! EVERY time another character that is put in charge of the money—it is gone—-BUT no worries Pensacola will bail us out—-and it is repeated YEAR after YEAR
Years ago board members got personal loans from the TOC. Were those loans ever paid back? Last I remember there has no documentation showing the loans were ever paid back.
What about the 300 year loan. Was that paid back?
I see a pattern….
Maybe because she only took the cash and kept it, and probably tossed the checks. So the warrant needed to be for the amount of missing cash. Since the checks weren’t cashed, they’d have issues proving that portion.
I have known Judge Ritchie since we were in law school together about 20 years ago and am familiar with his legal work and his integrity. Judges look for “probable cause” to believe a person committed a crime when deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant. I am confident that Judge Richie fairly considered the affidavit but found no probable cause to arrest the person. This may not be the end of the matter. Additional facts may be presented that result in the issuance of a warrant. I am confident that Judge Richie is doing his job ethically and carefully.
Is the judge from Century?? Because this outcome would make a lot more sense–I’m not equating “outcome” with “justice” here.
I love how everyone always jumps on here and immediately accuses people of being guilty. There is a reason that the judge denied the warrant. Could be due to a lack of evidence or that someone else has screwed up. Either way it is innocent until proven guilty. Not the other way around. But there is obviously something wrong with the facts in the case that caused the judge to deny the warrant. All of the holier than thous on here need to stop rushing to judgement.
So either 1) the ECSO doesn’t know how to process evidence and properly fill out affidavits for warrants; or, 2) Escambia Co has the same kind of judges that we are seeing on the Federal level.
At least, we can vote hizzonor right on outta here next election, if we need to.
But yeah…Century….
Good job judge just keep letting them steal from the town is that employee special she should answer for the money that’s gone . We’ll just go to work for Town of Century you can get by with anything , Century will never get better it just seems like there’s no justice or anyone that cares enough to push the issue and get something done.
Good job Carrie, keep up the good work! There should
Be more mess ups in there somewhere ?
you are a very honest smart lady and very friendly !
Keep finding the mistakes get Century
Built back up !