Former northeast Missouri town clerk sentenced for fraud
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The former town clerk of a small rural community in northeast Missouri has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay back $315,000 to the town. Tracey Ray was sentenced Wednesday. She pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and federal program theft. She also faces state charges for allegedly shooting a sheriff and a deputy in 2019 after they questioned her about the financial concerns. Ray was the longtime city clerk in Center, a town of 500 residents. She used town funds to pay for charges on her personal credit card and falsified bank records on financial reports to hide the crimes.