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Deadline Given By Kingman To Repay $1.1 Million Has Passed

Diane Maxine Richards
(Photo courtesy of Mohave County Sheriff's Office)
Diane Maxine Richards

Tuesday was the deadline for an auditing firm to pay Kingman about $1.1 million allegedly stolen by a former city budget.

Diane Richards was fired from her job as city budget analysts shortly after her arrest on suspicion of theft, forgery and misuse of city money between 2007 and 2015.

In a demand letter sent last month to the city’s former auditor, Heinfeld, Meech & Co., Kingman accused the firm of negligence for failing to identify financial discrepancies allegedly caused by Richards.

Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C. has since asked the city for more information, said city attorney Carl Cooper. But if it fails to respond in a "positive manner," Cooper said he expects to file a complaint in Mohave County Superior Court.

Kingman has already has made an insurance claim to get some of the money back, and hopes to get more through restitution.

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.