Jackson County water company worker accused of thefts

A worker at the Jackson County Water Company is being accused of stealing more than $160 thousand dollars from the utility.

According to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, an audit revealed discrepancies in the water utility’s accounts. Brownstown police began an investigation and reviewed financial documents, audit findings, employee statements and security footage. That investigation uncovered stolen cash deposits between February of 2024 and last month that led to the suspect, Stephanie K. Austin.

On Friday Prosecutor Lynsey N. Fleetwood filed three felony theft charges Austin.

Officials say that customer accounts were not affected by the missing money and payments made to the utility were properly posted to customer accounts.