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KANAB — A former Kane County treasurer who resigned amid allegations of embezzling taxpayer money was charged Thursday.
Georgia Baca, 52, of Washington City, was charged in 6th District Court with four counts of misusing public money, a third-degree felony.
Between Feb. 1, 2013, and Jan. 31, 2016, while she was county treasurer, Baca made approximately 45 transfers of Kane County money totaling about $33,600 from several Kane County accounts, including money collected from property tax and the Kane County Justice Court, according to charging documents.
On March 10, 2014, Baca transferred $1,200 collected from the county's property tax fund into her own bank account in two transactions, charges state.
Between June 2, 2014, and Jan. 11, 2016, she made an additional 23 transfers, taking about $19,600 in property tax money and putting it into a checking account she shares with her son, according to charging documents.
In addition, between Aug. 8, 2014, and Sept. 9, 2015, Baca transferred $2,450 in property tax money in five transactions into a joint checking account that she shared with her daughter, charges state. She also transferred $1,350 into the same account from money collected by the Kane County Justice Court, according to charging documents.
An additional $9,000 of property tax money was transferred into a savings account that Baca shared with her son between Nov. 12, 2014, and Sept. 24, 2015, charges state.
The alleged embezzlement was discovered following a review of Kane County bank accounts by the Utah State Auditor's Office, which in March identified $90,791 in misappropriated or missing money linked to the county treasurer's office.
