ROSE CITY, Texas — The former Rose City City Secretary has been arrested after being accused of stealing money from the city.
Tonya Nicole Veazey, 41, is accused of taking between $30,000 and $150,000 from the city, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. She was indicted on March 20 on a charge of theft by a public servant.
Veazey was arrested March 30 and bonded out the same day.
Usually theft of this money amount is a third degree felony, but because she is a public servant the charge is a second degree felony which is punishable by 2-20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the district attorney's office.
Back in 2019 the Texas Rangers and the Orange County District Attorney started investigating an alleged misappropriation of funds in the city budget in Rose City.
The former mayor, Bonnie Stephenson, requested assistance from the Texas Rangers.
This is not the first time a Rose City secretary has been accused of misappropriation of funds.
Former city secretary Veronica Grant was arrested May 16, 2013 in Jefferson County, charged with embezzling between $100,000 and $200,000 in city funds going back to 2011. She was fired in August 2012.
Grant was sentenced to 8 years in the Texas state jail January 9, 2014, court documents state. She was released on parole April 20, 2017, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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