On June 3, 2010 Judge Fred Edwards of the 9th District Court of Montgomery County sentenced Phyllis Ann Traylor to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division upon the State’s recommendation. Traylor plead guilty to Theft by a Public Servant, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Traylor, a former finance assistant with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, stole over $62,000 from the Montgomery County Jail Inmate Trust Account from January 6, 2007 until November 14, 2008. A grand jury indicted Traylor on August 6, 2009.
Phyllis Ann Traylor
The Inmate Trust Account is maintained by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and holds funds for use by inmates at the jail commissary or for medical treatment while incarcerated. Funds are deposited into the account by inmates during the booking process or by friends and family members while an inmate is incarcerated. Traylor had daily access to the cash deposits for this fund in her role as a finance assistant. She worked for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office since 1996.
This concludes a yearlong investigation by the Texas Rangers, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit, the Sheriff’s Office and the County Auditor. The investigation revealed that Traylor had a history of stealing from her employers, but had never been formally charged. Traylor was taken into custody following her plea and transported to the Montgomery County Jail for booking and processing. She had no prior criminal convictions.
“It has been my goal since taking office to prosecute those who violate the public’s trust to the full extent of the law,” said District Attorney Brett Ligon “I want to thank the Sheriff and the Texas Rangers for their cooperation in this investigation. Stealing money from those that are incarcerated in our jail is shameful, and the sentence Mrs. Traylor received was more than appropriate.”
For further information please contact ADA Phil Grant at (936) 539-7800
