A federal grand jury has indicted the top elected official in Ballard County in western Kentucky, along with the county's former treasurer.
The U.S. attorney's office in Louisville says Judge-Executive Vickie Viniard and former Treasurer Belinda Foster secured $450,000 in bank loans without the consent of the county's Fiscal Court.
A release from the attorney says Foster, who left the treasurer's job in December, was authorized to use the funds for medical reimbursement payments to county employees. About $27,000 of those payments went to Foster, an indictment said.
In a separate case Wednesday, former Fulton County Jailer Ricky Parnell and four contractors were indicted in an alleged kickback scheme during the construction of the county's new jail. Federal prosecutors say Parnell received about $175,000 dollars in the scheme.
This story has been updated.
