WA city’s ex-treasurer sentenced to probation, $937K in restitution

The former city clerk and treasurer of a small town in Lewis County was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to repay nearly $1 million in city funds that she’d embezzled over the course of nine years.

Tamara Clevenger, the former Morton city clerk-treasurer, embezzled $937,584 from taxpayers from 2013 to 2021, according to charging documents.

Federal prosecutors sought a 36-month prison sentence followed by three years of probation. A federal judge in Tacoma declined to order any prison time last week.

“Ms. Clevenger is truly sorry for her actions here,” Clevenger’s public defender wrote in a court document. “She is ashamed, remorseful, and horrified that she ever made the terrible decision to take money from the City of Morton — a place and people about which she cares deeply.”

Clevenger’s deception was revealed during a state auditor’s inspection in October 2022. Auditors found over $10,000 in ATM cash withdrawals from the city’s bank account between 2019 and 2021. Investigators later found Clevenger had stolen at least $311,727 in city payments for services rendered.

“Cities typically do not need to make ATM withdrawals as part of regular operations,” the state auditor’s office noted.

Morton, 90 miles south of Seattle, is home to just over 1,000 people. The city operates on an annual budget of about $4.6 million, collecting nearly $1.4 million in utility revenue and $860,000 in tax revenue, according to state auditors.

Several character witnesses, including the defendant’s daughter, told U.S. District Court Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright that Clevenger’s actions can be attributed in part to her Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“Unfortunately, my mom has been struggling with Parkinson’s disease and depression,” her daughter wrote in a letter to the court. “I believe these have significantly contributed to her actions, which do not reflect her true character.”

Her defense also pointed to a gambling addiction and the fallout of a divorce.

Prosecutors cited Morton city officials in their sentencing memorandum. Mayor Rick Mead said the city can’t afford more police due to Clevenger’s theft.

“Due to Tammy’s extreme negligence and selfishness, our town has suffered at the hand of budget cuts to try and make up for the major loss that we suffered,” Mead said.

Clevenger’s lawyer was not immediately available for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle could not be reached due to the federal government shutdown.

Morton’s current city clerk, LuAnn Ward, told the court the impact went beyond budget cuts.

“There are [hundreds] of hours and thousands of dollars of my wages paid as city clerk which mostly were spent on the audit,” court documents quote Ward as saying. “The fraud investigation cost an extra $100,000 not covered by insurance. The city lost good workers to other places because we couldn’t give the raises other companies could.

Clevenger has paid $8,626 back to the city as of this month. She still owes $928,958.