COLUMBUS — The former executive director of the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday after she admitted stealing more than $60,000.
Miranda Jones, 44, pleaded guilty in Crawford County Common Pleas Court just before her sentencing to felony counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, identity fraud, grand theft and forgery.
As part of her sentence, Jones was ordered to make restitution of $115,310.31, which included $64,007.31 to the now-Crawford County Chamber of Commerce and $51,303 in audit costs.
She paid full restitution Wednesday.
The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit launched an investigation after receiving a request from the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office for assistance after Chamber board members discovered the alleged criminal activities.
SIU identified personal purchases made by Jones using the Chamber credit card, falsified records and improper cash withdrawals, among multiple other schemes by Jones.
Jones was indicted in October. (Below is a PDF with the indictment.)
Jones submitted her plea and was sentenced in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday. She was represented in the case by Mansfield defense attorney Cassandra Mayer.
An SIU attorney was appointed by the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office to serve as special prosecutor for the case.
Jones was given credit for 137 days of jail time already served.
Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 157 convictions resulting in more than $16.4 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).