Former COTA Payroll Administrator Indicted on Theft, Other Counts after Manipulating Timesheets and Pocketing Unearned Wages

COLUMBUS — A former payroll administrator for the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has been indicted on three felony counts over allegations that she manipulated payroll submissions for retired employees and pocketed the resulting unearned wages.

Ashanti Powell faces counts of theft in office, tampering with records, and telecommunications fraud.

She is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 8.

The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) launched an investigation when auditors flagged potential payroll fraud at COTA, after a former employee received a federal tax form for earnings in 2022, though he retired in 2019.

SIU determined that Powell had entered work hours for two former COTA employees and modified their direct deposit information so that the funds would be deposited into her own account.

SIU also identified other personal payroll discrepancies involving Powell, including unapproved pay rates and unapproved vacation sell backs.

The total alleged theft amount was more than $12,000.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 143 convictions resulting in more than $13 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov