August 5, 2008 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 

FORMER TAX OFFICE EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH EMBEZZELMENT 

Charlotte, NC – A former Mecklenburg County Tax Collector's Office employee has been arrested and charged with felony embezzlement following an investigation. 

Michele Coble, 39, of Gastonia, is accused of stealing $54,477.72 in cash while she was employed as a Fiscal Support Specialist at the Tax Collector's Office. Earlier this year, an accounting discrepancy was discovered in cash receipts at Coble's cashier station. An internal investigation revealed 77 discrepancies between July 31, 2006 and April 3, 2008.  

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was brought in to assist in the investigation shortly after the discrepancies were discovered, and Coble was terminated on April 14, 2008. She had been employed by Mecklenburg County for 12 years.

 "Staff from the Office of the Tax Collector, as well as staff from the County's Internal Audit Department, has examined all internal controls and made changes to prevent a recurrence of this situation," said Kimberly Brown, deputy director of the Tax Collector's Office. "There is no indication that the theft prevented or resulted in improper crediting to taxpayer accounts."