RIPLEY, Ohio — A finding for recovery of $1,537 has been fully repaid following an audit that revealed cash seized by the Village of Ripley Police Department had vanished from an evidence locker, state officials announced Tuesday.
The discrepancy surfaced during a financial audit of the Village of Ripley in Brown County, covering the period from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2020. The audit, conducted by the Ohio Auditor of State’s office, identified more than two dozen findings, management letter citations, and deficiencies, with the missing cash being a key issue. The complete audit report is accessible online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.
According to the report, the missing funds stemmed from two separate incidents. In September 2018, police seized $1,151 during an arrest, and in February 2019, an additional $386 was confiscated in a separate case. In both instances, the cash was logged as evidence and secured in the department’s evidence locker.
The shortfall came to light later in February 2019 when an evidence technician noticed the cash was no longer in the locker. The technician, tasked with overseeing the evidence, subsequently repaid the full amount—$1,537—in installments during 2020 and 2021, resolving the finding for recovery.
State auditors commended the repayment but flagged the incident as part of broader concerns about the village’s financial oversight and evidence-handling procedures. The Village of Ripley Police Department has not released a statement regarding the matter.