Former Shelbyville Police Department Clerk Indicted After Misappropriating More Than $23,000
An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictment of former Shelbyville Police Department clerk Lilia Torres after investigators determined she misappropriated at least $23,382 in cash paid by the public for citations.
Torres worked in the department's administrative office for approximately 10 years, where she collected citation payments, processed court records, and entered payment information into the department's computerized cashiering system. She was suspended in September 2025 and resigned from the department on October 20, 2025.
Investigators determined that from January 2023 through September 2025, Torres diverted cash from citation payments and kept all or part of the money for herself. In many cases, she marked citations as dismissed before their scheduled court dates and without a court order, preventing the cases from appearing on court dockets and allowing the missing money to go undetected.
Investigators also determined that Torres made 36 false entries into the department's computerized cashiering system by recording cash payments at lower amounts than what was actually received. This allowed her to keep the difference between the actual amount paid and the amount entered into the system.
After department employees became suspicious of Torres' activities, surveillance video showed her removing at least one official receipt book from her office on the day she was suspended. Investigators later found gaps in receipt book sequences and determined they could not establish the full extent of the misappropriation because the missing records were never recovered.
Based upon this investigation, in August 2026, the Bedford County Grand Jury indicted Lilia Torres on one count of theft over $10,000, one count of forgery, one count of tampering, fabrication, or destruction of government records, and one count of official misconduct.
“Handling public money requires strong internal controls and careful oversight,” said Comptroller Mumpower. “Cash collections should be deposited promptly, official receipts should be issued for every transaction, and financial duties should be divided among employees. These basic safeguards help protect public funds and maintain the public's trust.”
To view the investigative report, go to tncot.cc/doireports. To view a map depicting Comptroller investigations, go to tncot.cc/mappinginvestigations
If you suspect fraud, waste, or abuse of public money in Tennessee, call the Comptroller’s toll-free hotline at 800.232.5454, or file a report online at: tncot.cc/fraud. Follow us on X/Twitter @TNCOT and Instagram @tncot
Media contact: John Dunn, Director of Communications, 615.401.7755 or john.dunn@cot.tn.gov
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