ESTHERVILLE, Iowa – Two guilty pleas have been entered and three trials are set in the scandal involving city finances in the small town of Armstrong.
City clerk Tracie Lang has pleaded guilty to falsifying public documents and former city clerk Mary Staton has pleaded guilty to 3rd degree theft. No sentencing dates have been set.
Greg Buum (left), Tracie Lang, Connie Thackery (right)
Craig Merrill
Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum, Police Chief Craig Merril, and former city clerk Connie Thackery have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and are set for trial on May 4 in Emmet County District Court.
All five were charges after a multi-year investigation that involved to the misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, the falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement, and the use of a Taser against a civilian in exchange for cash. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has taken over prosecution of this case.
Armstrong is a community of about 900 people located roughly 82 miles northwest of Mason City.
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