Politics & Government

Alleged Thefts Led to DMV Closure

County attorneys have charged a former employee with three on-the-job felonies.

Golden Valley’s Motor Vehicle Licensing Department has been closed nearly three months to allow investigators to probe a series of alleged thefts by one employee.

Courtney Allyn Olson faces three felony charges—theft by swindle, theft of public funds and failure to pay over state funds—along with two gross misdemeanor counts of misconduct of a public officer or employee.

Golden Valley Police arrested Olson on March 28, and the city terminated her employment three days later. The next day, city officials closed the licensing department and hired an independent auditor to review all policies, procedures and internal controls. City officials say they have already begun implementing the auditor’s preliminary recommendations for preventing mishandling and theft of funds.

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An unsigned written statement on the city’s Web site says “The City of Golden Valley takes the public trust and public service seriously and is very disappointed that it has been compromised by this incident. The City has moved forward deliberately to identify the procedures and policies that allowed this to happen.”

Golden Valley’s Motor Vehicle Licensing Department works on contract for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services Division. The City will seek state authorization to reopen the office as soon as possible, according to the written statement, following full compliance with recommendations from both the state and independent reviews.

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