ARMSTRONG, Iowa — The mayor, police chief and the current and the former city clerk have been charged with embezzlement and other abuses going back years. Emmet County Sheriff Mike Martens announced arrests and said that the Iowa attorney general had filed the charges. Buum, Lang and Thackery were arrested Friday.  Merrill was arrested Saturday across the border at his job in Minnesota.

Greg Baum. Mayor, bond set at $67,000.

Craig Merrill. Police chief, bond hearing pending.

Tracie Lang. City clerk, bond at $44,000.

Connie Thackery. Former city clerk, bond at $33,000.

The sheriff’s office said state law enforcement and financial officials assisted in the investigation, which uncovered:

> Misappropriation of city funds.

> Fraudulent public records.

> Shaking down a citizen with a stun gun in exchange for cash.

> Falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement.

More arrests may be pending related to this case, according to Sheriff Martens. The charges are being prosecuted by the Iowa Attorney General Thomas Miller to avoid local conflicts of interest.

Plagued 2017 audit

Suspicions of problems in Armstrong’s  town government are not new. In 2017 the City Council voted to seize Police Chief Merrill’s  computer and stun gun. They were turned over to the county sheriff. The Council also asked for a state audit. But the city’s computerized accounting system somehow failed and the financial records were not available. Despite the failure, the audit identified $100,60 of undeposited utility collections and unsupported disbursements. The lack of records, however,  precluded a complete audit.

Armstrong profile

The town of 980 people is in north central Iowa 10 miles from the Minnesota border and due south of Fairmont. Per capita income is $16,200, about half the Iowa average. About 8% of the population is below the nationally designated poverty line. The town is 18 miles from the county seat of Estherville. Emmet County has 9,500 people. The county is historically Republican. Fifteen percent of the population holds college degrees.