City employee charged with theft will go before grand jury

Email To A Friend
Printer Friendly
Comments

---

by Laura Freeman

Reporter

Hudson -- A city employee accused of altering records and theft will have her day in court.

Ellen Heindel, executive assistant in the Hudson Fire Department, waived her right to a preliminary hearing April 22 before Judge Lisa Coates at the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court and will have her case heard by a Summit County grand jury. A date had not been set by press time.

Heindel has been charged with stealing $192 from a city cash box. She was charged April 11 with tampering with records, a third degree felony, and theft in office, a fifth degree felony.

Chris Parker, assistant prosecuting attorney for the city of Hudson, said the date for the grand jury hearing would be scheduled in four to six weeks and a judge would hear all the witnesses to determine if there are grounds for an indictment.

Heindel maintains she is not guilty, said her attorney S. David Worhatch.

"She feels once that all the facts are known, her position will be vindicated, and one day she'll return to work with her head held high," Worhatch said, speaking for his client.

The city began investigating the matter after a March 18 audit of the fire department revealed missing cash.

In a police report filed March 28, City Manager Anthony Bales reported $192 in cash missing from the city's cash box.

Heindel's personal check for $192 and receipts from Feb. 8 for emergency weather radio sales of $192 were found in the cash box, according to the police report.

Bales would not comment on the check or why it was there.

After a pre-disciplinary hearing March 31, Bales said Heindel was placed on administrative leave without pay. The city is conducting an investigation to determine whether further disciplinary action is needed, separate from any criminal investigation.

Heindel has been an employee since March 17, 2004, and earns $22.01 per hour, said assistant City Manager Paula Ryan.

E-mail: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3150