CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Former Taft finance director LeeAnn Goben spent Wednesday morning in magistrate court, said Taft Police Department Chief John Landreth.
Goben turned herself in to authorities Tuesday and faces eight felony charges of tampering with government records less than two months after submitting a letter resigning from her position Sept. 30.
Goben's letter list her reasons for resigning, none of which addressed allegations of misappropriated funds.
Landreth told 3NEWS the latest update is part of an ongoing investigation into her actions, and additional charges are expected to be filed.
The city is still working to understand the amount of damage Goben's actions caused, said Taft City Manager Ryan Smith.
A November-dated State of the City memo outlines a host of problems Taft administrators are facing -- including misappropriation of funds, timekeeping issues, recordkeeping challenges stemming from the COVID-19 era, a faulty utilities-billing system and cases of employee dishonesty.
The memo acknowledged the issues Taft has faced over the last several years, including high turnover and a 'lack of oversight of internal controls.'
In her resignation letter, Goben states that she believes the city council's decision to appoint Smith as city manager was a good decision.
"He has finally brought accountability to this office, something that has been lacking, [sic] the entire time I've been employed at City Hall," she writes.
She also admits to several regrets during her tenure, such as an 'abrupt transition' into the finance-clerk role, which she states she believed was a temporary role when she accepted it.
She said that she was immediately expected to keep up with growing administrative demands while continuing her duties as a utilities clerk.
This is a developing story. Stay with 3NEWS for updates.
