Former Muncie court clerk arrested for theft

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - A former deputy for Muncie City Clerk Phyllis Reagon was arrested Monday for stealing about $11,000 in  cash payments from city court cases.

 Indiana State Police took Misty S. Buck, 30, into custody after a warrant was issued for her arrest on felony theft and misdemeanor deception.

 The investigation began after Muncie City Court Judge Dianne Bennington founding accounting discrepancies in court fines and costs paid to the city. She contacted the Indiana State Police that investigated the theft and turned evidence against Buck over to the prosecutor to seek formal charges.

 ISP Investigator Scott Jarvis found as much as $11,000 in  cash payments had not be deposited to proper accounts and identified Buck as a suspect. Buck had been an employee and was later laid off, but came back to work last February. Soon after her return, payments came up missing, according to ISP, and Reagon fired her before their investigation started because of the cash discrepancy and absenteeism.

 The Indiana State Board of Accounts conducted an audit and found money had been taken and also identified Buck as a suspect after she reportedly admitted taking the money to the ISP.

 The money for some traffic related offenses was never posted with the state and some defendants complained their licenses had been suspended when they actually paid their fines and court costs.

 Bennington also was instrumental in getting an investigation into possible theft with federal entitlement funds going to the former Action Inc. anti-poverty agency. The local group dissolved and other social service agencies picked up the programs and funding. No criminal charges ever resulted from that investigation.