SAN ANTONIO — The former city secretary of Grey Forest – a small Bexar County community of fewer than 500 residents – is facing charges, accused of stealing more than $140,000 in city funds.
Shannan Kinsley was arrested last month for crimes officials say she committed over the span of a decade. According to an indictment, between January 2010 and October 2020, Kinsley is accused of stealing money from the City of Grey Forest, where she worked for 14 years.
The indictment accuses her not only of theft, but of also manipulating deposits to hide the missing money. She allegedly even received cash advances through a city credit account.
Former City Councilwoman Kimberly Verity worked with Kinsley for two years and says she felt something was off when Kinsley tried to resign in 2020.
“I’m really glad that this has come out and she’s been charged," Verity said. “Our new mayor, Paul Garro, is the reason why the DA went ahead and moved this up in his stack of things to review. Because of that, because of our new leadership, we’re getting this dealt with.”
Details are slim on how the missing money was discovered and how it was connected to Kinsley.
The current mayor of Grey Forest, who did not work with Kinsley, said in part that "the situation with Ms. Kinsley is unfortunate, but we are pursuing justice in the matter through the district attorney's office and hope to recover all of the City of Grey Forest's funds."
“I hope we get repaid the money that we lost," Verity said. “Because it’s not right.”
Kinsley's attorneys didn't comment on the case.
According to Garro, the city secretary who replaced Kinsley led the implementation of more defined protocols and checks-and-balances procedures as it relates to all municipal money.