Published: January 26, 2010 11:13 am      

Former Clerk Turpin pleas not guilty in Franklin Circuit Court

Monticello — Former Wayne County Clerk Melissa Turpin appeared in Franklin Circuit

Court on Friday, January 22 and entered not guilty pleas to two counts of

willfully filing or making a false tax return or failure to pay tax.

Records in the Franklin Circuit Clerk's office noted that the case now

needs to be set for trial, but no specific date was set during last week's

proceeding.

Turpin was indicted on the tax charges by a Franklin County Grand Jury

on December 16, while she was serving a two-month sentence in the Wayne

County Detention Center on charges of abuse of a public trust over $10,000

and theft by unlawful taking over $300.

Turpin was indicted in Wayne Circuit Court in August 2009 on two counts

of abuse of a public trust over $10,000 and two counts of theft by unlawful

taking over $300. Those charges were related to a lengthy investigation by

the Ken-tucky Attorney General's Office and Kentucky State Police, after

audits of the clerk's account in 2007 and 2008 turned up a $139,986 deficit.

Turpin resigned from office on October 20, the day that she entered a

guilty plea to the charges in Wayne Circuit Court. She was sentenced to 10

years under a plea agreement. Sixty days of that sentence was served in the

Wayne County Detention Center and Turpin is currently serving a four-month

home incarceration sentence.

The remainder of the 10 years will be probated.

The plea agreement also required restitution be paid by Turpin.