Yamira Martinez, the former city clerk of Conesville, has been arrested on multiple felony charges including theft and forgery for allegedly mismanaging the town’s finances. Conesville, a small community of about 350 residents, faced significant financial irregularities during Martinez’s tenure from July 2022 to April 2024.
The Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Martinez’s arrest on June 25 following a special investigation by the state auditor. She faces two counts of ongoing criminal conduct, two counts of theft, one count of unauthorized use of a credit card over $10,000, and one count of forgery.
The auditor’s report highlights serious financial discrepancies:
$40,129.40 in improper payroll payments
$7,545.28 in unauthorized reimbursements to Martinez
$12,409.39 in improper credit card purchases
$700 in improper vendor disbursements
$4,533.10 in IRS penalties
$612.71 in Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System penalties
$23,505.65 in unbilled utility charges
$17,744.80 in undeposited utility charges
$9,760.31 in unexplained utility account adjustments
Martinez’s preliminary hearing is set for July 3 as the community awaits further legal proceedings.
