Lawsuit filed against former Town of Landis leaders accused of stealing more than $25,000 from payroll account

LANDIS, NC (WBTV) - Two former administrators for the Town of Landis stole in excess of $25,000 from the Town’s payroll account over a period of several years, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in district court.

Former town manager Reed Linn and former finance officer Ginger Gibson had resigned from their posts on February 7, following the start of a criminal investigation by the State Bureau of Investigations into their financial activities.

The investigation led the Town to file their suit after discovering that the ‘unauthorized compensation’ allowed Gibson and Linn the opportunity to receive contributions that they otherwise were ineligible for. It also indicated that the pair had inflated their incomes in order to better conceal the additional compensation.

The lawsuit requested that the pair both have their retirement and 401(k) accounts frozen and that they repay the Town in excess of $25,000 each in unauthorized spending.

Police Chief Kenny Isenhour is serving as interim town manager at this time and has worked with local officials to ensure more transparency moving forward.

No ruling has been given on the lawsuit at this time and Linn and Gibson have provided no comment regarding this update.

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