CEDARVILLE (KFSM) - A Friday morning fire destroyed the home of the former Cedarville treasurer accused of stealing $300,000 from the city.
Firefighters responded around 9 a.m. to the house fire at 336 Arkansas 162 in Cedarville. That address is listed in property records as belonging to Alicson Reding, the former Cedarville official who an audit states issued $295,880 in authorized checks between 2008 and 2014.
Cedarville Fire Department and several other area agencies responded to the scene and knocked out the fire by noon. No one was injured, but authorities said the house is a total loss.
"This is a tragedy," said Cedarville fire chief Jesse Hyatt. "Somebody lost their home."
Reding resigned in April and admitted to 5NEWS that she took the money from city accounts. She told 5NEWS she vows to “make things right” and “pay back every penny.” Reding said she stole the money to pay bills owed by her family.
The former treasurer's criminal case is still pending in Crawford County Circuit Court, records show. She was arrested in August on suspicion of seven counts of felony theft of property.
The fire chief said there is no evidence the fire is connected to Reding's criminal case. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Hyatt said.