Official accused of stealing more than $20,000 from Tarrant County court
A Tarrant County court official has been indicted on charges she defrauded the county court system of between $20,000 and $100,000.
Shelly Denise Ables, 47, a manager for District 6 Justice of the Peace Gary Ritchie, falsified records, voided transactions and generated false receipts starting in April 2015, according to the indictment, handed down Wednesday.
The scheme to defraud the court continued until last Oct. 7, the indictment says. The indictment charges Ables with theft of property and is enhanced because of Ables’ position as a public servant.
She faces up to 38 years in prison if convicted on all counts. It was unclear whether she remained in the job Tuesday.
According to The Texas Tribune state employee database, Ables was hired Aug. 4, 1993, and was being paid $77,323 annually.
The justice of the peace courts are for civil cases up to $10,000 and some misdemeanor criminal cases.
Mitch Mitchell: 817-390-7752, @mitchmitchel3
This story was originally published September 12, 2017 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Official accused of stealing more than $20,000 from Tarrant County court."