Court Employees Suspended During Embezzlement Investigation

The Springfield News Leader reports that two Springfield municipal court employees are being investigated in the disappearance of an estimated half-million dollars in fines, forfeitures and court costs. The names of the two court employees have not been released. The city plans to hire a forensic auditor to investigate the municipal court's financial records. "When you talk about embezzlement, we'll want someone to audit books and financial reports," said Prosecutor Darrell Moore. Gathering enough evidence to file charges could take weeks, and it might take two to three months.