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The former director of the Jessamine County Animal Care and Control faces a class C felony charge.

According to the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office, Timothy Brown was indicted for abuse of public trust in November. 

“There was an administrative issue with [Brown] that led to the fiscal court doing some financial checks on the shelter, and the county treasurer noticed some irregularities,” said Chief Deputy Anthony Purcell of the sheriff’s office.

The fiscal court asked the sheriff’s office to look into the irregularities, and they did. 

Purcell said investigators discovered that $20,000 had been missing. These cash donations accrued throughout the past year and were never put into the Jessamine County Fiscal Court’s account, which funds the shelter. Brown was accused of allegedly not directing the cash to the fiscal court’s treasurer and has since been relieved from his duties as the director. 

Brown’s career with the animal care and control Shelter started in October 2018. Before that, he had almost four years of experience in the field. He was also with the Lexington Police Department for six years. 

“The animal shelter and the Friends of Jessamine County Animals have always taken donations for the wellbeing of the animals. The money that was collected by the county, in any case, should have been receipted and brought to the county,” said  Jessamine County Judge-Executive David West.

County officials are now reaching out to partners and spay and neuter clinics to ensure the pre-existing rules are clear: cash donations are not allowed, and the shelter must follow the receipting protocol and hand over any donations to the fiscal court.

The Journal reached out to the office of Dan Carmen, Brown’s attorney, but the request for comment was declined.