Former County Treasurer pleads guilty to felony tampering charge

Former Milam County Treasurer Donna Orsag pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony tampering with evidence charge, according to a press release from the Milam County District Attorney’s Office.

Orsag, 57, of Cameron, resigned in September 2017 amid a theft investigation. She pleaded “open” in 20th Judicial District Court before Judge John Youngblood on March 13.

Sentencing and restitution will be determined after a pre-sentence investigation and a sentencing hearing.

The state is seeking five years’ probation including shock probation, which would require Orsag to spend 180 days in state prison, a $10,000 fine, court costs and restitution of about $9,700.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1.

Orsag resigned from her position on Sept. 25 amidst allegations of theft made by the Milam County Sheriff’s office. She was charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, a third-degree felony. She was arrested and taken to the Milam County Jail on Oct. 3. 

According to the probable cause statement from the Milam County District Attorney’s Office, Milam County Chief Deputy Chris White was contacted on Sept. 13 by the Milam County auditor Danica Lara, who said Orsag was “floating” money from the weekly receipts and deposits from Bea’s Kitchen.

A Milam County technician was ordered to make a copy of Orsag’s office computer hard drive, and the process was started and completed on Sept. 22. The computer was then put back in Orsag’s office on Sept. 23.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Sept. 25 Orsag said she took the money during a six-week period because of financial hardships.

White told Orsag she had to vacate her office, and she gave her resignation to Milam County Judge Dave Barkemeyer by noon that day.

The affidavit said that on Sept. 26 when Lara tried to access the documents needed to process payroll for Milam County employees that was due later that week, the documents and e-mails were missing from the hard drive. Hundreds of e-mails and documents were erased from the hard drive after Orsag was notified of the investigation into her alleged illegal activities and resigned.

At least three of the documents destroyed were directly related to part of the theft investigation.

Milam County commissioners appointed Orsag to fill a vacancy in the office in November 2012 after she won a race for the unexpired term in the November 2012 general election. She won a second term in November 2014.