3 years, 4 months ago by Scott Hardy
Tracey indicted on four counts; made first appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court
A federal grand jury has indicted former Center, Missouri clerk Tracey Ray for allegedly stealing over $300,000 from the city.
Ray, who was indicted in early November, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of federal program theft. She was arrested Tuesday by U.S. Marshals and made her first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday. She waived the arraignment and pleaded Not Guilty. According to the indictment, Ray stole just over $317,000 from the city of Center over a four-year period, from January 2015 to early July 2019. The Government alleges that Ray used funds from the City's bank account about 30 times to pay for $206,000 in charges on her personal credit card. Ray's also accused of cutting over $62,000 in checks from the city's bank account to pay for her family's health insurance, life and disability policies. The indictment was handed up two months after Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released a months-long audit that detailed Ray's spending as the former city clerk. Ray is free on a recognizance bond, and has been granted time to find evidence in the case. A court date has not been set.
Ray also faces two counts each of 1st Degree Assault and Armed Criminal Action in Ralls County, in the July 2, 2019 shooting that slightly wounded Ralls County Sheriff Gerry Dinwiddie and Chief Deputy Ronald Haught. Ray's pleaded Not Guilty to the charges, and a hearing in the case is set for December in Boone County Circuit Court.
