(Glenwood, Iowa – August 22, 2022) – (updated/Radio Iowa) – The former city clerk in a small southwest Iowa town has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing money from Silver City accounts. Forty-four-year-old Artema Madeline Gray pleaded guilty to first-degree theft – a Class C Felony. An investigation found she made over 42-thousand dollars in personal purchases on the city’s credit card and overpaid herself nearly 11-thousand dollars. State Auditor Rob Sand’s office conducted the special investigation that was released this spring.

The special investigation covered transactions in Silver City from May of 2017 through April of 2021 and found Gray used city money to pay her CenturyLink bills and may have pocketed money from city fundraisers. According to the Mills County Attorney’s Office, Gray was sentenced after current and former officials from Silver City spoke about the financial impact on the town of 245 residents.

Mills County Attorney, Naeda Elliott, said she would like to thank the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Auditor’s Office for their help and dedication to bring justice to the residents of Silver City.