QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) — Quincy City Clerk Janice Shackelford faced a judge Wednesday after her arrest on multiple charges — from fraud to theft to forgery — tied to an ongoing state investigation into financial mismanagement at City Hall.
- Investigators say Shackelford took cash payments for cemetery plots despite a city ban and created fraudulent documents to hide her actions.
- Court records show she is a convicted felon who did not disclose her status when hired in 2020 — and city leaders later kept her on the job
- Watch the video to hear from attorneys and the mayor in court.
UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Quincy City Clerk Janice Shackelford appeared before a judge Wednesday after being arrested at city hall Tuesday morning. I'm Tatyana Purifoy, your Quincy neighborhood reporter and she is now facing multiple charges, from fraud to theft to forgery, and prosecutors say this isn’t her first run-in with the law.
Investigators say Shackelford took cash payments for cemetery plots, despite a 2022 city policy banning cash transactions.
They say she created fraudulent documents and hid public records to conceal her actions. Her bond was set at $33,000.
Craig Brown, Janice Shackelford’s attorney said, "I would ask the court, uh, go with the bond schedule or maybe even something lower given that she is a resident and not a flight risk and has served Gadsden."
But prosecutors pushed back saying Shackelford's access to city officials could compromise the case.
Josh Cardosi, ASA said, “Uh, the only other thing that the state would, um, request is that the, uh, defendant have no contact with the witnesses including Rob Nixon."
Court Records show Shackelford is a convicted felon, something she did not disclose when she was hired in 2020. City leaders later found out but still kept her on the job.
Dr. Beverly Nash, Quincy City Mayor said, “So I've always been concerned, uh, and have in the past attempted to work with her and the attorney on her job responsibility issues um. but they've never seemed to have worked out.”
The probable cause affidavit claims Shackelford defrauded the city and its citizens of more than $7,200. She is ordered to have no contact with any witnesses involved in the case.
Shackelford’s bond is set at $33,000. She's been ordered to stay away from city leaders and witnesses in the case. Her arrest comes as part of a wider investigation into financial mismanagement against the Quincy CRA. In Quincy, Tatyana Purifoy, ABC 27.
Original:
Quincy City Clerk Janice Shackelford appeared in front of Judge Garner Wednesday morning via zoom at the Gadsden County Sheriffs Office. She was arrested Tuesday morning by the FDLE at Quincy City Hall.
Shackelford's bond has been set to $33,000. She has been charged with
- Organized scheme to defraud - bond $10,000
- Grand theft - bond $10,000
- Forgery - bond $1,000 x6
- Uttering - bond $1,000 x6
- Misuse of public office - bond $500
- Violation of Florida Chapter 119 - bond $500
Shackelford was order to have no contact with any of the witnesses at Quincy City Hall. That includes city commissioners and former City Manager Rob Nixon.
According to ASA Josh Cardosi, Shackelford does have a previous criminal history. In 2012, there was a compensation reward for official unlawful behavior and official misconduct of a public servant, both of which adjudication was withheld. Cardosi says in 2006 Shackelford was charged with grand theft in the third degree. Back in 1996, she was charged with misapplication of bank funds by employee.
In June, we reported the Quincy CRA was under investigation for financial mismanagement. City leaders say this arrest is linked to the investigation.
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