Hawthorne City Treasurer Marie Poindexter-Hornback has taken a leave of absence amid accusations that she stole $200,000 from a previous employer.
Elected in 2022, Poindexter-Hornback oversees approximately $50 million in funds for the Los Angeles County city. She previously worked as an accountant for Fidelity Investments, which is where her alleged crimes took place.
According to a federal indictment, Poindexter-Hornback altered vendor checks, changing the payee names to two individuals listed only as “R.J.” and “D.M.” She is also accused of using the company’s Amazon account to make purchases unrelated to work.
Hawthorne officials provided the following statement to NBC4:
“The City is aware of recently announced federal criminal charges against elected City Treasurer Marie Poindexter. While the Treasurer reports only to City voters, the City has agreed with the Treasurer that she will take a leave of absence from her duties until such proceedings have concluded. The City’s Director of Finance will perform the Treasurer’s duties during her absence. Beyond this, the City will have no further comment out of respect for the court process.”