Former Nelsonville Clerk Sentenced to Five Years of Community Control Following Guilty Pleas to Theft and Other Counts

Press Release •Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS - A former Nelsonville clerk was sentenced to five years of community control after admitting to three criminal counts in the theft of city funds.

Jessica Mount also was ordered to pay $11,306 in restitution to the city and have no contact with government or nonprofit accounts, among other sentencing terms handed down in Athens County Common Pleas Court on Dec. 15.

The Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) received a complaint in April 2023 alleging the potential theft of city funds by Mount, who served as clerk for the Nelsonville Police Department and Mayor's Court from November 2021 through December 2022.

SIU identified receipts for more than two dozen cash payments through the Nelsonville Mayor's Court that were signed by Mount but not deposited into a city bank account.

Mount was indicted in June 2025 on a felony count of theft in office and misdemeanor counts of soliciting improper compensation and dereliction of duty. She pleaded guilty to all three charges earlier this month.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 153 convictions resulting in more than $16 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU's fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State's Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs Contact: Marc Kovac [email protected]