Attorney General Charges Franklin County Official In Million Dollar Embezzlement

The State Attorney General's Office announced Friday formal charges have been filed against former Franklin County Manager Dennis M. Huston.

Huston, former director of announting and administration for the Franklin County Public Works department, has been formally charged with embezzling nearly 1.7 million dollars from county coffers since 1990.  Using fraudulent or non-existent company names, Huston funneled the money into other bank accounts.

  Huston alledgedly told police he was using the money for cocaine, and used it to gamble at a local casino.  Originally Franklin County officials claimed he took nearly 2.8 million dollars,  no information was given as to why the Attorney General charges list only 1.7 million worth of theft.   Huston had been fired, but was out of jail pending the outcome of the investigation.