Former Clark County Auditor’s Office employee pleads guilty to theft of $1.8M

The change in plea comes days before Vanderhorst’s criminal trial, originally slated for Aug. 30. Sentencing for the case is now scheduled for Sept. 15, according to court records.

An employee of the Clark County Auditor’s Office since 1991, Vanderhorst was fired Jan. 12 after the Clark County Auditor’s Office said it learned of the allegations.

The thefts occurred from 2005 to 2021, according to the state auditor’s office.

“Vanderhorst appears to have used his intimate knowledge, tenure, and trust to steal from our office,” Clark County Auditor John Federer said.

Federer said that Vanderhorst’s charge represents a “shocking betrayal of every Clark County citizen” and employees of his office.

According to the auditor’s office, an employee noticed inappropriate vendor payouts in the financial management system in October 2021. State investigators visited the auditor’s office and Vanderhorst’s home in January to collect evidence.

“This is one of the largest thefts committed by a public employee in our state and an egregious crime against the people of Clark County,” Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said in a statement. “I commend Clark County Prosecutor Dan Driscoll for his diligence in ensuring justice was served and Vanderhorst repays every penny he took.”

Driscoll launched an investigation after receiving a tip about a suspicious vendor account that received county payments but had no address, no tax identification number, and no description of work being performed, according to a release from the state auditor’s office.

Driscoll confirmed an initial $110,000 payment to the suspicious vendor ultimately was deposited into a bank account maintained by Vanderhorst. With assistance from the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the investigation confirmed that Vanderhorst opened a “phony” vendor bank account, deposited county checks into it, and then transferred those balances into a personal bank account or withdrew cash for his own use, according to the state auditor’s office.

As part of a plea agreement, Vanderhorst must make restitution of $1.8 million, according to the state auditor’s office.