Dunkin receives 9 months in federal prison

May 17—A former Hartshorne city clerk was sentenced Monday to serve nine months in federal prison for embezzling more than $80,000 from the city through use of a credit card.

Meredith Dawn Dunkin was also ordered by U.S. District Judge David Joseph to pay $80,083.35 to the city of Hartshorne.

Dunkin pleaded guilty in November 2020 in the Eastern District of Oklahoma for one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds from 2013 to 2016 while she was Hartshorne's city clerk.

According to a plea deal and her cooperation with the government's ongoing investigation, the agreed sentencing ranged from 6-to-12 months.

Prior to the judge's sentencing, Dunkin's attorney Warren Gotcher told the judge that Dunkin has become a nurse and has the ability to work and pay restitution.

"She's more than willing to pay the restitution," Gotcher said. "She's a good person."

Hartshorne Mayor Ashley Faulkner also spoke in court telling Joseph how city of Hartshorne is continuing to overcome the setbacks caused by the actions of Dunkin.

"These actions will be felt for years to come," Faulkner said.

In closing, the mayor asked the judge to impose a sentence that was "fitting" due to Dunkin violating "the basic element of trust."

Before announcing his judgement, Joseph told Dunkin that what she did was "more than just stealing."

"You destroyed the fabric of the community," Joseph said.

The judge said he sees how public corruption destroys small towns like Hartshorne all the time.

"I don't take it as a small thing at all," Joseph said. "This is public corruption."

Joseph ordered Dunkin to report to the Bureau of Prisons on July 12, 2021 to serve her sentence "at the closest facility to home."

After her release, Dunkin is to be supervised by federal probation officials for two years and to pay at least $300 a month in restitution.

Joseph also ordered that Dunkin could not open any new lines of credit without the approval of the court and if found to have an addiction to gambling, to enter treatment for the addiction along with a self-ban from casinos across the state of Oklahoma for the two-years she is under federal supervision.

At the end of the hearing, Joseph told Dunkin her cooperation is what helped her in his sentencing decision.

"Your behavior after the government got involved helped you out quite a bit," said Joseph.