ARMSTRONG, Iowa – Then there were five. Another former Armstrong town clerk, Mary “Kate” Staton, showed up at the Emmet County Courthouse and surrendered in a widening raft of criminal cases involving town officials. Staton was charged with third-degree theft and tampering with records. Arrested earlier were the mayor of Armstrong, population 980; the police chief; the town clerk; and another former town clerk. The charges flow from a multi-year investigation that led to 21 criminal counts related to the misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, the falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement, and the use of a stun gun against a civilian in exchange for cash.
Staton. Audit of town books found embezzlement.