PALATKA, Fla. – A Putnam County solid waste employee is facing charges of larceny and fraud after investigators said she went on an illegal shopping spree with a county credit card.
Denise Adams, 48, of Interlachen has already bonded out of jail on a $30,000 bond.
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Adams had been under investigation since mid-July when Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners in reference to the alleged misuse of a county account credit card. According to the arrest report, the complaint came from Deputy County Administrator of Administration, Julianne Young and Solid Waste Director, John Tilton.
The arrest report states that Young told investigators that when she questioned Adams about using the county credit card to make personal purchases, Adams admitted that she used the card to make unauthorized purchases and gave Young a personal check for $3,820.
According to Young, Adams used the county credit card to make 34 suspicious purchases through Amazon, Home Depot, and other stores totaling $8,025. Young also provided investigators with a list copy of gasoline taken from the county gas pumps where according to the arrest report, Adams and her husband were caught on surveillance camera filling up their personal vehicles numerous times since the beginning of the year.
Tilton told investigators he found orders for equipment that didn’t add up. He also said he found county credit card purchases that were shipped directly to Adams’ home.
Investigators reviewed several surveillance videos showing Adams and her husband not only using county gasoline to fill up their personal vehicles but also two pickup trucks the couple uses for their lawn care business.
According to the arrest report, both gasoline and personal items purchased with the county credit card totaled $11,099.
Adams was placed on administrative leave. According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the board of county commissioners could vote to have her employment terminated.
It’s unclear if her husband will also face criminal charges.