Pulaski County officials said Saturday they recovered $1.9 million diverted through a payment scheme involving a person who impersonated the contractor providing healthcare at the county jail.
The sheriff’s office said county employees changed payment information after receiving a June 19 email from someone posing as an accounts receivable employee for Turn Key Health Clinics. The county was notified of irregularities on Oct. 23, when a legitimate Turn Key representative asked about several unpaid invoices.
Funds returned Saturday
The sheriff’s office began an internal review and notified the county Purchasing Department after learning of the missed payments. The Pulaski County Treasurer’s Office coordinated with Centennial Bank to retrieve the money, said Angie Martin, the office’s director of operations. The FBI also was notified.
“Following our initial review and in close coordination with the Pulaski County Treasurer’s Office, we have successfully recovered all diverted funds,” the county said.
Martin said the money was returned Saturday morning. The county previously reported recovering only the latest payment, which totaled $126,344.87. The recovered amount represents payments that officials said had been redirected to the impersonator.
“We were so excited to get the money back. That doesn’t happen, normally,” Martin said.
Investigation remains active
The county said authorities are continuing their work toward a full resolution. The payments were connected to the county’s contract with Turn Key, whose services include healthcare for people held at the jail. LaTresha Woodruff, a county spokeswoman, previously said the amount budgeted for Turn Key payments in 2026 was approximately $7.8 million.
The county’s accounts payable office reports to Michael Hutchens, the appointed county comptroller under County Judge Barry Hyde. The sheriff’s office and county officials have not announced any arrests in connection with the scheme.
- $1.9 million was recovered after being diverted from payments to Turn Key Health Clinics.
- The payment discrepancies were discovered Oct. 23 after a legitimate contractor representative asked about missed invoices.
- The FBI was notified while the county and Centennial Bank worked to retrieve the funds.
The sheriff’s office and county departments are continuing the internal review, while authorities seek to complete the investigation.
