A civil lawsuit filed by the town accuses former tax collector Karen Guillet of stealing more than $670,000 in six years.
In fact, the lawsuit, filed Dec. 9 in Milford court, marks the first time a precise dollar amount — $671,768.77 — has been cited.
The lawsuit also alleges that in January 2010 — one month after the town first learned something was wrong in the tax collector’s office — Guillet admitted taking $3,093.42 of the public’s money.
Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday with Guillet and Francis Teodosio, the attorney representing the town in the civil case.
The court filing includes the town’s lawsuit, as well as statements from First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers and three members of an ad-hoc committee formed in June to look into the matter.
The lawsuit alleges that Guillet took money between July 2003 and December 2009.
It does not describe in detail as to how the money was allegedly misappropriated.
The lawsuit is posted below. Article continues after the document.
The lawsuit states the town discovered discrepancies in December 2009 between tax payments received from the public, deposit slips and deposits presented to the bank by the former tax collector.
Drayton-Rogers met with Guillet and several unnamed town employees and consultants on Jan. 13, 2010. The tax collector admitted taking some $3,000 from the town, according to the lawsuit.
Guillet was put on unpaid leave after that meeting, Drayton-Rogers said in her statement. Guillet, who served in the elected position for 24 years, resigned on June 22.
Click here to read everything the Valley Indy has published on the matter.
The civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal investigation currently underway by state police.
Scant Details
The three members of the ad-hoc committee — finance board member John Kiley, town Administrative Assistant Joseph Calabrese, and Finance Director James Hliva — each filed statements contained in the lawsuit.
However, their statements are identical and brief, only indicating that each reviewed six years of monies received and deposit slips made by Guillet.
Each statements says the ad-hoc committee “concluded that there were sufficient information to indicate that between the dates of July of 2003 and December of 2009, Ms. Karen Guillet took for her own benefit funds in the amount of $671,768.77.”
The statements do not indicate how Guillet could have taken that amount of money unnoticed by the town.
Those details may come out at a court hearing.
Teodosio, the town’s attorney, has requested a hearing for Jan. 10, 2011.
At that hearing, Oxford wants the court to attach Guillet’s assets — most notably her home at 2 Douglas Drive in Oxford — so the town can try to retrieve some of the money it claims was lost.
The town is asking for three times the amount allegedly stolen money, plus late fees, interest and attorneys fees, according to the lawsuit.
There is nothing in the court filings indicating who is representing Guillet in the civil case. She had not filed any response to the lawsuit as of Dec. 14.
Drayton-Rogers announced last week the town would be filing the lawsuit. She made the announcement during a Selectmen meeting with Teodosio. She took questions from Selectman David Yish and three members of the press in attendance at the meeting.
Click the video to watch footage from that meeting.
$671, 768 taken in 6 years!!!!
When the town has been scrimping and cutting back on expenses; this woman was skimming off the top for years.
I don’t care what political affiliation you are, taxpayers should be outraged.
Thank you Valley Independent for following up on this story…I doubt this will make Channel 8 6 o’clock news…it was only on their web page when the initial lawsuit was announced…and they credited you guys anyway…
hard to believe from her ,but these times are bringing out the worst in us
This is a situation that rises above political parties, this is a bad situation no matter what administration was in power. No matter what your opinions of those administrations are or were, none of them would ever condone such actions. This is simply about an allegedly bad person who committed a selfish act and should be thrown in jail & punished to the fullest extent of the law.
When you accept a position of responsibility you are making a vow to basically say the buck stops here. Things of this nature can, and do happen no matter who is in power, the difference is who is willing to accept the fact that being in charge means just that. Drayton-Rogers and crew toot their own horns, and take every opportunity possible to put their mugs in the papers, however when things under their watch run a muck… And they do, they claim no knowledge. You really can’t, nor should have it both ways.
During the alleged time, two administrations have been in office, Palmer and Drayton-Rogers. Karen’s offenses started (to the best of anyone’s knowledge) under the Palmer administration for 3 years (2003, 2004, 2005) and continued through the end of 2009 under Drayton-Rogers (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) before it was discovered.
No administration, Palmer or Drayton-Rogers, would ever condone such action and none would ignore it if it was known. The town relies on its auditors to conduct an audit of the town’s records and to notify it of wrongdoing, that is their job.
Ultimately the fault lies with Karen and her greed. I also fault the Auditors for not catching it since 2003, but you and I don’t know the rules underwhich they operate and if there were triggers that would have made them question the Tax Office.