Former state employee from Cherokee, IA sentenced after fraud investigation

CHEROKEE, Iowa (KTIV) - A former administrative assistant at the Iowa Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO) in Cherokee, Iowa, will serve two years of probation and pay more than $50,000 in restitution.

Renae Rapp was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 28, after pleading guilty to second degree theft in September.

A special investigation released by the Iowa Auditor of State Office last year showed from August 2019 to February 2021, Rapp used her husband’s key fob to make manual adjustments to the payroll system resulting in $61,610.66 of improper disbursements, including $52,618.19 of gross wages paid to Rapp’s husband, a part-time employee at the institution, and $8,992.47 of related payroll costs.

The excess pay was electronically deposited into a bank account shared by Rapp and her husband, who had no knowledge of the scheme.

Rapp must pay $57,252.04 in restitution for altering the timecards of her husband, a part-time employee at the institution.

“This highlights the important work of the Auditor’s Office,” said Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand. “If you steal taxpayers’ money, we’ll catch you and you’ll be held accountable.”