CHESTERFIELD, Ind. — Five former town employees defrauded the town of Chesterfield of more than $250,000 over two years, according to a state audit report released Thursday.

The audit alleges that town employees filed mileage reimbursement claims for trips never taken, issued auto repair claims for repairs never made and paid for maintenance work never performed.

“It’s made me sick. It just makes you sick to your stomach to think that people think they can get by with that stuff. It just blows you away,” Chesterfield Town Council President Jack Taylor said Thursday when the report was released.

The 31-page audit report filed by the State Board of Accounts details how former Clerk-Treasurer Chris Parrish, former Town Marshal James Kimm, former part-time police officer Joseph Brown and former water department and maintenance employees Chris Walters and James Walters allegedly defrauded the town of $259,626 during 2007 and 2008.

The unscheduled audit was requested by town officials in February, just one month after Parrish abruptly resigned as clerk-treasurer and town manager, according to current Clerk-Treasurer Candy Bennett.

As clerk-treasurer for the town, Parrish handled all expense reimbursements and purchase orders for the town.

He was named in connection with nearly all questionable claims included in the audit.

Bennett said she was shocked to learn that Parrish had been defrauding the town. “I would have never thought he would do this.”

Roads not traveled

Between January 2007 and August 2008, Kimm filed mileage reimbursement claims totaling $52,553.

Kimm claimed to have been traveling across the country to pick up free excess government property for the police department through the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office, or DRMO.

When auditors called the DRMO, they found that no one from the town of Chesterfield, including Kimm, had picked up equipment in 2008, nor was any equipment distributed to the town in that year.

In April 2008, Kimm’s mileage form indicated that he had driven his personal vehicle to San Diego, Calif., and returned in the same day.

It would take the average driver 64 hours to drive to San Diego and back, according to Mapquest.

His mileage form also indicated that he’d traveled to Fort Hood, Texas, and back in one day in January 2008.