Investigation alleges County Clerk altered titles for loans

Success of an investigation into Overton County Clerk’s Business have been turned in excess of to the Business office of the District Lawyer Standard of the 13th Judicial District. Those findings allege that faux motor vehicle titles have been established to receive personal loans.

The investigation perfomed by Tennessee Comptroller’s Business, operating in conjunction with Tennessee Highway Patrol and Tennessee Division of Revenue, exposed that Overton County Clerk Victoria Looper, performing in her potential as clerk, allegedly altered vehicle titles to improperly deliver new registrations and titles. She then utilised these titles to attain individual bank loans.

Essential conclusions from the investigation consist of the pursuing allegations:

•The clerk altered a title for a 1949 Cadillac to show that it experienced been offered to one particular of her family members members, then altered the day of the sale to characterize that it had been not too long ago procured.

The 1949 Cadillac had been destroyed in a garage fireplace about the year 2000. The clerk allegedly registered the title with the point out and used the new, false title as collateral to get hold of a $15,000 personal lender financial loan.

“The clerk altered the buyer’s facts on the back again of the title for a 1949 Cadillac by marking via the prior owner’s printed title and inserting her loved ones member’s name,” the investigative report states. “She also marked out the prior owner’s signature and changed it with a signature to match the relatives member’s name and then altered the day of the sale to represent that the motor vehicle experienced been recently ordered.

“The prior proprietor, whose title and signature experienced been marked by way of on the title, stated the 1949 Cadillac had been ruined in a garage fire sometime all over the calendar year 2000. The clerk registered the altered title with the Condition of Tennessee and subsequently presented the untrue title to a monetary establishment as collateral for a individual loan.”

•The clerk altered the transaction info on the title for a 1979 Ford. Though this automobile no for a longer time exists, the clerk allegedly registered the motor vehicle with the state and used the new, fake title as element of the collateral to acquire a $28,000 personalized bank loan.

“The clerk acquired a 2nd title from the exact acquaintance stated earlier mentioned for a 1979 Ford,” the investigative report states. “The seller and purchaser info had been done to show the transaction was between the clerk and the prior operator on the other hand, equally the clerk and the acquaintance said the title handed from the acquaintance to the clerk, not the prior operator to clerk.

“This 1979 Ford no extended exists nonetheless, the clerk registered the title with the Point out of Tennessee and introduced the untrue title to a financial institution as collateral for a particular personal loan.”

In the course of an job interview with Freeway Patrol and Revenue investigators, Looper reportedly admitted to altering titles to acquire loans, and she mentioned she under no circumstances took possession of the automobiles in question.

“The Overton County Clerk altered vehicle titles to improperly generate new registrations and new titles, which she utilized to get private bank loans,” the investigative report states. “During our investigation, the clerk said she was presented paper certificates of title (titles) to motor vehicles by an acquaintance, and she altered at least two of these titles, falsifying income info to acquire new registrations and new titles. She then employed these new vehicle titles to get personal loans.”

Looper also allegedly manipulated and/or prevented having to pay income tax by declaring automobiles as items, therefore falsifying county and state documents. In one particular occasion, the clerk offered a motor vehicle to a mechanic to whom she owed money and allowed it to be registered as a reward to the purchaser.

Investigators also allege that Looper experienced misappropriated county-owned assets when she taken off place of work household furniture, tools, and some flooring from the Clerk’s Business place. She did not attain acceptance from Overton County Executive Ben Danner. The business office home furnishings and other tools was loaded into a trailer and taken to non-public residence. None of those people objects experienced been returned to the county as of the day of the report.

“Public officials will have to perform governing administration business with a significant level of integrity,” reported Comptroller Jason E. Mumpower. “Falsifying transactions and making faulty tax exemptions violate condition pointers and statutes. Citizens count on their elected officials to reveal both private and qualified moral conduct.”

To see the investigative report visit https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-features/investigations/obtain.html.

Looper, who has been in office since 2014, is now managing for re-election to the business.

Overton County Audit Committee satisfied Tuesday, April 12 to explore findings in the County Clerk’s Office.

In accordance to Audit Committee member County Commissioner Donna Savage, very first dealt with the discovering about money not becoming deposited in a few days, and Looper informed them that she is now building every day deposits.

The 2nd locating was that the County Clerk is underneath critique.

“When I requested the County Clerk if she could enlighten us on why she is less than evaluate, she told me that I could discuss with her attorney,” Commissioner Savage stated.

“I have manufactured a simply call to her lawyer and left a information but acquired no reaction.”

She mentioned that conferences are open to the community, taped, and saved at the County Executive’s Office environment.

The Audit Committee will satisfy at 12:30 p.m. Monday, May well 2.