SOUTH PARIS — A former town clerk for Byron who resigned more than three years ago was charged Friday with felony theft.
An Oxford County grand jury handed up an indictment against Allison Freeman, 45, of 11 Dingle Hill Road in Byron, who also served as the town’s treasurer and tax collector for five years.
The charge of theft by deception is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
According to the indictment, from Nov. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2017, Freeman stole more than $10,000 from Central Maine Power Co.; Bayroot, a Delaware corporation that has had land holdings in New England; Ursa Major; John Harmon; and Rock Creek Manor.
An audit of the town’s books and other financial records revealed significant financial discrepancies that included missing funds, according to a town official.
“There’s money missing — quite a lot. You’ll be surprised,” then-newly elected Selectman James Ramey told the board at a meeting in April 2018.
Shortly before that meeting, Freeman submitted a three-page letter of resignation.
In it, she wrote that she was leaving because of harassment, a town divide and an inability to fulfill the requirements of the job.
“Due to the many recent changes in the Town Office and the issues that have been brought to light, I’ve come to realize that even though I tried my best and followed direction and policies of previous employees/selectmen, I was not fulfilling my job requirement to what some are calling state standards,” she wrote.
Freeman went on to say she didn’t feel safe at work following an alleged incident earlier that month when she called police to the Town Office because she was being harassed by a local woman.
“The emotional distress that followed that incident as witnessed by both (Selectmen) Linda Joyal and James Ramey, and also the auditors, should never have happened,” Freeman wrote.
Town officials launched an audit of its finances after it was learned there had not been any since 2013 because of Byron’s lax municipal policies and procedures.
The town had reportedly missed audits before 2013. An audit done in 2012 was done to make up for no audits in 2010 and 2011.
The issue came to light when two new selectmen learned about the lapse in audits.
Byron is northwest of Rumford with a population of 145 in 2010.
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