The state of Indiana has filed a lawsuit against a former Salt Creek Township trustee to recoup various costs associated with what it says are misappropriated and unaccounted for funds.

The state filed a complaint in Jackson Superior Court I earlier this month against Autumn Kinser, who was township trustee from Jan. 1, 2010, until Jan. 20, 2015, to repay a total of $4,234.19 in damages to the township.

The figure includes salary and rent overpayments, payments made to AT&T without documentation and the cost of a state audit.

The state was able to recover $5,515.29 through a required public official bond in place during the audit period.

The lawsuit comes after the state asked Kinser last fall to reimburse the township $1,118.22 for salary and rent overpayments, and to pay the state $2,085.75 for the cost of the Indiana State Board of Accounts’ audit.

The salary and rent overpayments were made from 2010 to 2013.

The audit conducted by the Indiana State Board of Accounts revealed no supporting documentation for 18 electronic payments totaling $3,430.85 made to AT&T from the township bank account in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

A compliance report released by the state in July 2017 showed between 2010 and 2014, Kinser failed to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes from her salary or the salary of a former township clerk and three township board members in the amount of $931.02. Those funds were reimbursed by Kinser, the clerk and board members.

That same audit also found issues with bank account reconciliations; the timely deposit of receipts; excess budget appropriations; a lack of fixed salaries for the township official and no W-2s being issued for the employee; unsupported payments to the Internal Revenue Service; and a lack of written contracts for mowing.

The audit also found no township assistance standards were established from 2010 to 2016; no board minutes were presented for meetings from 2010 to 2014; no annual reports were published from 2010 to 2016; there was no evidence of a bond being obtained for the trustee from Oct. 1, 2010, to March 2, 2015; there was no nepotism policy in place from 2012 to 2016; and there was no contracting policy in place from 2012 to 2016.

The new township trustee, Doug Hanner, said changes in billing procedures have since been made as a result of the special investigation into Kinser’s actions.

He said he takes every expenditure to the township board for approval.

Kinser could not be reached for comment.