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Former Casey City clerk sentenced to 5 years for theft, City Hall fire

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October 21st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former city clerk for the small western Iowa city of Casey has been sentenced to five years in prison and will be required to pay restitution in an amount to be set later. Dorothy Dillinger was sentenced Friday.

She had entered a plea agreement in May admitting she lit the City Hall building on fire in August 2014, the night before state auditors were to arrive to investigate missing money she’d taken and used for personal expenses since 2009.

She pleaded guilty to mail fraud and malicious use of fire. Federal prosecutors are seeking more than $2 million in restitution to pay for rebuilding City Hall and replacing contents including tax returns, tools, city maps and a Santa suit.

Dillinger, who is 61, was city clerk for 30 years.