A former Kewanee city clerk has been charged in Henry County Circuit Court with the theft of more than $4,000 from the city.

Rabecka Jones, 50, of Woodhull, was charged last week.

A statement released by City Manager Gary Bradley Monday said that in March of last year, the city’s auditors “identified inconsistencies within city financial records.

“A subsequent review by city officials revealed multiple unauthorized transactions totaling $4,425.25 made from city accounts” to Jones, according to the statement.

City officials contacted the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation “to conduct a full review of the matter,” according to the statement.

Jones was not employed by the city when the matter was discovered, Bradley’s statement said. “Nobody employed by the city when the matter was discovered did anything wrong,” according to the statement.

The statement quoted Mayor Gary Moore as saying, “Out of respect for the judicial process and to avoid compromising the state of Illinois’ investigation, the city waited until charges were filed before making an official statement.”

Bradley’s statement concluded, “The city of Kewanee remains committed to transparency and to upholding the integrity of its financial operations.”

Jones is formally charged with theft over $500, a Class 4 felony, and is set to make her first appearance in court on Monday, May 19.