Trust in government will be one issue many people consider when they go to the polls this November and vote in the country’s general election.
Nancy Link helped destroy that trust when she stole more than $92,000 from the city of Chardon while working there as an accounting clerk.
Link, 38, of Mentor, appeared Friday afternoon in Geauga County Common Pleas Court for sentencing on two felony counts for her elaborate scheme to steal money from the city of Chardon’s water department over a six-year period.
In sentencing, Judge Forrest W. Burt weighed two versions of Link — the loving, unselfish mother trying to help her family, and the meticulous thief who developed a brilliant scheme to pay for her desired lifestyle.
Ultimately, in a courtroom filled with Link’s family and Chardon city officials, Burt sentenced Link to six months at the Geauga County Safety Center, avoiding prison, and five years of community control plus restitution and a $5,000 fine on each charge.
Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz recommended 30 months of prison time on each count. But Burt said prison was a place for “persons of violence” and Link could herself “become a victim of a violent act” had she been sent there.
Everyone — Link, her family, her lawyer, prosecutors, city officials and Judge Burt himself — agreed that Link’s actions destroyed public trust in public figures.
“It’s situations like these, when that trust is violated, that are most shocking,” said Link’s lawyer, Dan Williams.
“The citizens place a great amount of trust in us, in addition to their tax dollars, to make sure that this (doesn’t) happen,” Link said through tears in an apology. “My actions have given them reason to distrust city management, and for that I am truly sorry.”
“For those who pay taxes, this has negatively impacted them,” said Chardon City Manager Randy Sharpe, adding citizens had experienced a “lack of trust” in their public officials.
“Anytime anyone steals taxpayer money … it undermines the confidence that government has,” said Chardon Mayor Nancy McArthur after Link pleaded guilty in August.
Link admitted to stealing monies from June 1, 2010, to Feb. 26, 2016, on an almost daily basis, Flaiz said. The city incurred about $33,000 in investigation costs, putting the restitution due to the city at $125,912. Link has liquidated two of her retirement funds, so she now owes $69,791.
Sharpe said over five years and eight months as a city employee, Link had spent a majority of her time negatively impacting taxpayers with her scheme. She stole $16,000 per year, or $7.89 per hour, while she worked there, Sharpe said.
Flaiz has said Link used different methods when stealing the money, “but primarily, she adjusted water consumption records to cover cash she was stealing. No customers or city residents were affected.” He said the plan was “borderline brilliant.”
Link’s friends, family and former co-workers submitted 15 letters to the court on her behalf, Burt said. There were at least a dozen Link supporters in the courtroom, many of whom were clearly grieving throughout the hearing.
“She’s not an evil person,” Burt said. “But she’s not a good person. Good people don’t steal.”
“Nancy is a kind, loving, unselfish mother and wife,” said her husband, Brian Link. “What she did was wrong, and she knows it. But I do know she never did it to better herself. It was only with the thought of giving myself and our kids a better life.”
Link has three children ages 20, 12 and 10.
“For the last 39 years, she’s been my daughter,” her father told the judge. “And unfortunately, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next few minutes. The only thing I can hope is that whatever you decide will not have a horrendous effect on the family.”
If Link were to violate her five-year probation guidelines, she would be go to prison for six years, Burt said.
“Your future is up to you.”