A former City of Indianola employee has been arrested and charged with felony embezzlement for evidently using the city’s Walmart credit card to make unauthorized purchases. Derrick Demond Calvert 42, 209 Roosevelt Street was arrested May 6 after city officials reviewed the monthly statement and discovered that he had purchases that amassed more than $1,000 in goods from the chain store.
This, however, was not Calvert’s first infraction, according to Mayor Steve Rosenthal, Calvert was fired when a prior statement revealed that he had purchased two sets of headphones from Walmart without permission, using the city’s card. Although Calvert returned the headphones to the city, only one pair could be returned to the store, so the cost for the other was taken out of his last paycheck.
The incident was reported to police on May 1. Calvert made his initial appearance in municipal court last week and Judge Kuykendall Murry set his bond at $25,000 and his preliminary hearing is slated for June 5. Calvert reportedly bonded out on May 8.
Rosenthal said they were able to follow the timestamp on the statement and go and review the footage from Walmart where Calvert was seen making the purchases with the card. The city elected to press felony charges against him.
Calvert was authorized to check the card out when he made the first purchases, but he was not the second time. It is unknown at this time how he obtained the card the second time, but the city has taken measures to better secure the credit card.
Based on police records, Calvert is accused of stealing a LG Triumph cell phone, an Otterbox Defender phone case, a pair of .24 carat diamond earrings, a pair of .33 carat diamond earrings, a Targus Ipad case, a 43-inch Sceptre TV, an assortment of Gildan shirts and boxer shorts, a Superman glow plug, a pair of Beats headphones and a gray 32GB Apple Ipad.
The previous board of Aldermen approved Calvert for hire as a meter maintenance employee for the water department last year, at the Nov. 27 meeting. He had been in the position less than six months before he was let go a few weeks ago.
