The former mayor of Jacksonville, Ohio, could spend up to five years in prison after being charged Thursday with using village funds for personal use.
George Pallo, 56, was charged with two counts of theft in office and two counts of grand theft. Pallo served as the mayor of Jacksonville until he resigned Tuesday as part of his cooperation with the Ohio Investigative Unit and the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, according to a news release from the prosecutor’s office.
Pallo allegedly took village funds and deposited them in the Jacksonville Fire fund 501(C)3 and used some of the funds for personal use, Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said in the release.
Blackburn also said Pallo opened an unauthorized credit card in the Village of Jacksonville’s name to purchase a lawn mower while telling village officials he used money from the fire fund that was given to Jacksonville as reimbursement for a gas explosion.
“This kind of activity is unfortunate; you have two locations that believed their charitable gaming proceeds were going to the village charity when it was actually going to one individual for personal gain,” said Athens Agent-in-Charge Erik Lockhart.
The village owes more than $5,000 for the lawnmower, and Pallo’s total alleged theft is estimated at more than $19,000, according to the release.
Pallo is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 18 for his arraignment hearing.
“These accusations against George Pallo have tarnished his lifetime service to the Village of Jacksonville and Athens County,” Blackburn said in the release. “It is disappointing that he has made decisions to personally benefit himself with the money given for public use.”
Pallo could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000 if convicted of all four charges at a trial, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
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