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Former Grainger High School bookkeeper indicted for theft

Investigators said Valerie Combs stole at least $35,397 from the school, where served as the bookkeeper for more than 6 and a half years before she resigned in 2018.
Credit: Tennessee Comptroller's Office

RUTLEDGE, Tenn. — A former bookkeeper at Grainger High School has been indicted for stealing money from the school, according to the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.

Investigators said Valerie Combs stole at least $35,397 from the school, where served as the bookkeeper for more than 6 and a half years before she resigned on Feb. 28, 2018.

She was responsible for receiving and depositing money, preparing and signing checks, recording transactions in the school’s records, and reviewing and reconciling school bank statements, according to the Comptroller's Office.

Investigators said that Combs used a check-swap scheme to steal cash. For example, she received a $600 check from a business for a promotional banner to be displayed at athletic events. She did not issue a receipt for the check or record it in the school accounting system. Instead, Combs exchanged the check for cash from other school collections – effectively “cashing” the check through the collection drawer for her own personal use.

They said Combs also altered school records and manipulated receipts for school cash collections to conceal her misappropriation of cash. In all, investigators found that Combs stole $34,754 in cash.

Additionally, Combs used the school purchasing card for personal purchases totaling $643, according to the Comptroller's Office. These purchases included wine, a kitchen blender, and various food items. Investigators are also questioning more than $7,000 in other purchases of mostly food and other grocery items that can’t be definitively tied to Combs.

In July 2020, the Grainger County Grand Jury indicted Combs on one count of theft over $10,000.

“There were several weaknesses within the school’s financial processes that allowed this theft to go undetected for several years,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. “The former bookkeeper was largely responsible for nearly all the financial activities of the school, and school officials failed to ensure deposits were made intact or review charge card statements and invoices prior to payment.”

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