Former Licking County official sentenced to 30 months in prison for invoice scheme
A former building services director for Licking County was sentenced to 30 months in prison Monday after he admitted to his role in the theft of nearly $193,000 from the county through a phony invoice scheme.
Donald C. Dunston, 58, of Jefferson Township, Franklin County, also was ordered to make restitution of nearly $193,000 and pay more than $20,000 in audit costs, but had already done so prior to his Monday afternoon hearing in Licking County Common Pleas Court, according to Ohio Auditor Keith Faber.
Dunston pleaded guilty earlier this month to attempted engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft in office and three counts of tampering with records. All are third-degree felonies, and Dunston could have received up to 15 years in prison.
William Crawford, of Frisco, Texas, was also involved in the invoice scheme and was sentenced earlier this month to four years in prison, according to Faber. Crawford pleaded guilty in January to felony counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft, and tampering with records.
Crawford and Dunston were one-time neighbors in Texas.
Windy Miller, of Frisco, Texas, a third person involved in the beginnings of the scheme, was indicted and pleaded guilty in 2021 to a single felony count of theft. She was sentenced to 10 days in jail, five years of community control and fined $2,500.
Dunston moved to central Ohio in 2012 and started his job with Licking County on Dec. 19, 2012, as supervisor of building services. He was promoted to facilities director on Jan. 24, 2017. He earned a salary of $68,989 in 2017. Part of his job was ordering cleaning supplies.
Prosecutor Robert Smith, of the state auditor's office, said in court earlier this month that Dunston had Crawford and Miller prepare phony invoices that Dunston would approve and send to the county commissioners. When Licking County paid the invoices, the funds were split between the three, Smith said.
The scheme fell apart in April 2018, after Dunston was caught filling up a vehicle not owned by the county with gas on a county credit card. He was then fired by commissioners. In the process of examining Dunston’s records, the county saw the two sets of invoices from Miller and Crawford.
“We started calling vendors in Texas to verify what was ordered and shipped, and found they were fictitious companies. We couldn’t find all the suppliers," Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb told The Newark Advocate in January.
The commissioners informed the Licking County Sheriff’s Office. Miller admitted her role to the sheriff's office and a full investigation began, with the state auditor's office getting involved in June 2018.
The state auditor's Special Investigations Unit identified six checks totaling $19,203 that were paid from county funds to a Texas business, Whirl of Windy, for supplies and services that were not provided to the county.
The auditor's SIU determined that 109 checks totaling $173,469 were paid to Crawford’s business, Crawford R.A.W. Janitorial, through fake invoices approved by Dunston, knowing that no supplies or equipment were provided to the county, according to the state auditor.
Newark Advocate Reporter Kent Mallett contributed to this report.
Monroe Trombly covers workplace and environmental issues for The Dispatch.
mtrombly@dispatch.com
@monroetrombly
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Licking County official gets 30 months in prison for theft
