Logan – Former Hocking County Commissioner Jessica Dicken has pleaded guilty to two felony charges and one misdemeanor in connection with the misuse of over $19,000 in public funds, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced on August 7, 2024.
During a hearing in Hocking County Common Pleas Court, Dicken admitted to one count of theft and one count of telecommunications fraud, both felonies, as well as a misdemeanor charge of soliciting or accepting improper compensation.
As part of the plea deal, Dicken has agreed to pay restitution totaling $25,090.69. This amount includes $14,417.02 to the Hocking County Agricultural Society, $4,667.17 to Vinton County National Bank, and $6,006.50 to cover audit costs incurred by the Agricultural Society.
Dicken’s sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
The case was brought to light in May 2023 after the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) received a complaint alleging that Dicken had diverted cash payments for county fair vendor spots instead of depositing them into the Agricultural Society’s bank account. The investigation also revealed that Dicken had made thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on the society’s credit card.
Further scrutiny uncovered a pattern of fund misuse for personal gain, including financing her 2022 Hocking County Commissioner campaign, renting a vehicle for a family vacation in Florida, and making personal purchases from retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Sam’s Club. Investigators also discovered that Dicken had reported disputed charges to Vinton County National Bank and misclassified some campaign-related expenses as in-kind contributions on her campaign finance reports.
The SIU’s investigation and special audit identified a total of $19,084.19 in fraudulent charges made by Dicken using the Agricultural Society’s credit cards.
