Ex-Genola clerk pleads not guilty

PROVO — The former Genola town clerk charged with embezzling thousands of city dollars pleaded not guilty Tuesday morning.

Traci Wright, 42, faces 13 felonies of misuse of public funds, 13 charges of forgery and one charge of theft for allegedly siphoning off more than $65,000 from the small southern Utah County town.

Her attorney, Doug Nielsen, asked 4th District Court Judge Steven Hansen to set the case for further proceedings on Aug. 5 but had no comment about her pleas.

City employees in late 2007 noticed several financial irregularities and notified the mayor.

He, in turn, notified the Utah County Attorney's Office, which began an investigation.

Prosecutors allege Wright wrote unauthorized checks to herself and forged the signatures.

She was charged Jan. 30.