Tamara Clevenger, the former Clerk-Treasurer for the City of Morton in Lewis County, Washington, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her nine-year scheme to steal nearly $1 million from city coffers.
The 9-year embezzlement scheme, uncovered by an audit in 2024, resulted in Clevenger stealing a total of $937,584 from the city. The funds were stolen over a period of nearly a decade, from 2012 to 2022, under Clevenger’s leadership as Clerk-Treasurer.
According to records filed in the case, Clevenger used a variety of methods to steal funds from the city. Between November 2015 and December 2021, she stole at least $311,727 in cash that citizens had brought in to pay for city services. In some instances, she wrote fraudulent city checks in the amount of cash she stole to conceal the theft of the cash. She also made unauthorized cash withdrawals with the Morton ATM card.
Between February 2013 and December 2021, Clevenger stole at least $625,857 by writing city checks to herself and depositing them in her bank account. Clevenger would use checks that had been pre-signed by the mayor for use in emergency situations. She used fake vendor invoices to make it appear the checks had been written for a service rendered to the city. Clevenger’s actions used interstate wires to commit the fraud with the transfer of funds between various bank accounts. One example is the transfer of $5,808 in funds from Washington to Umpqua bank servers located outside the state.
The City of Morton has established new procedures to prevent similar thefts in the future, including ensuring no single person has control over the various banking functions. Clevenger has agreed to make restitution to the City of Morton, with the court considering her credit for some $8,626 that she deposited to city accounts via ATM machines.
Tamara Clevenger is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on July 7, 2025. Wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a three-year prison term, but Judge Cartwright is not bound by the recommendation.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS, along with the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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