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Kingman Sues Former Auditor, Employee

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

The city of Kingman is suing its former auditor for negligence, alleging the firm should have caught warning signs when a former city employee allegedly stole about $1.1 million.

Heinfeld Meech & Co., P.C. oversaw Kingman’s finances for years when Diane Richards had access to city money. In 2015, authorities accused Richards of stealing about $1.1 million to pay for personal bills and cash advances from Nevada casinos.

The lawsuit filed in Mohave County Superior Court names both Richards and Heinfeld Meech & Co., P.C. as defendants. It demands they refund fees the city paid to the firm, cover the cost of attorneys, return $1.1 million and pay other damages to be determined at trial. 

A separate criminal case against Richards is ongoing.

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.