GREENVILLE -- A former Greenville city clerk who once had the mayor legally barred from entering city hall is now scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 9 in a Wayne County courtroom on felony charges related to the alleged misappropriation of $150,000 in city money.
Pamela S. Birmingham of Silva turned herself in to authorities Wednesday evening and was released on bond at that time, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Department.
A warrant was issued that day for Birmingham on suspicion of receiving stolen property in April 2016 and suspicion of forgery in September 2015. An initial bond was set by the Wayne County courts at 10 percent cash alternative and later amended Wednesday to a $25,000 cash only amount, according to court documents.
The charges were requested by the state attorney general following an ongoing audit of the city of Greenville, state auditor Nicole Galloway said Thursday.
An audit report with additional details will be released at a future date, Galloway said.
"I am dedicated to working with law enforcement to hold corrupt public officials accountable. I appreciate the attention to this issue in asking for my office's assistance and expertise in forensic auditing, which led to today's charges. We will continue to work with the highway patrol and attorney general to ensure justice for taxpayers in Greenville," she said.
A message left Friday morning for Birmingham's attorney, Joy Ferguson of Hackworth, Ferguson and Thompson in Piedmont, was not returned as of press time.
Controversy surrounding Greenville's city hall started in April 2016, after three new members were elected to the city council.
Birmingham initially accused the new mayor, Carroll Rainwater, of a physical altercation where finger pointing turned into poking, and asked for a restraining order.
Birmingham was fired by the Greenville city council later that month.
New council members said at the time the city's bank accounts were nearly empty and would not cover outstanding bills. The city had not paid several years of employee withholding taxes, they also reported.
In June 2016, the board announced the matter was being investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Residents, in the meantime, began donating money and holding fundraisers to help the city pay off debts.
Within a year, city officials announced less than $25,000 of outstanding tax debt remained from almost $160,000 in unpaid bills from prior to April 2016. The city reported a combined bank balance of just under $70,000, compared to less than $5,000 following the 2016 election.
The help of residents and cost cutting measures made this possible, the council said at the time.
In May 2016, Birmingham blamed the city's financial problems on outstanding employee withholdings from prior to her employment, matching costs for projects like a walking trail grant and under reported expenses for the police department, among other issues.