Joan Brummitt, 65, is accused of stealing nearly $6,000 from a ward of the state under her care
by Matt Flener
MILAN, Mo. — The lights stayed off Wednesday morning inside Joan Brummitt’s office, which she has occupied for 20 years as public administrator at the Sullivan County Courthouse.
Brummitt, 65, instead sat on a bench one floor up as she waited for her first appearance before the county’s presiding judge to face eight felony charges.
Brummitt is accused of stealing nearly $6,000 from a ward of the state under her care.
She waived her right to hear the charges against her on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for January.
As a public administrator, Brummitt is typically a court-appointed guardian of the county’s elderly and mentally disabled population when family or friends can no longer care for them.
Court documents allege Brummitt moved money in October from an elderly ward’s bank account to her personal bank account on four separate occasions.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol investigator said on Oct. 14, 2025, Brummitt used her personal cellphone and online banking app to send money from the ward’s account through three separate transactions, totaling $999, $1,900, and $1,980.
She made another online $999 transfer on Oct. 16, the MSHP investigator said in court documents.
The total amount came to $5,878.
Brummitt is charged with four felony counts of financial exploitation of an older/disabled person and four felony counts of stealing $750 or more.
Brummitt still holds office. But a judge has restricted her from making financial decisions on behalf of her wards.
Brummitt declined to comment about the charges and referred questions to her attorney, Mark Williams.
"It's always a different case when I represent a public official because of the trust that the people give somebody," said Williams. "So, you really want to watch what we're doing, and we’ve got to make sure we understand what happened in this case."
Williams told KMBC 9 Investigates he is planning more investigation into the allegations by the prosecutor.
"I want everybody to keep an open mind and remember what our constitution says: We’re innocent until proven guilty," he said.
In a new series called "Paper Prisons," KMBC 9 News is investigating ways to systemically improve the care of those under guardianship by highlighting stories of people struggling to navigate a tangled system of legal paperwork, medical records and court orders.
KMBC is also seeking answers, perspective and context from those in charge of keeping wards of the state in their care for their recommendations on how to improve the system.
Throughout the next year, KMBC will continue to explore the problems and solutions for Missouri’s public guardianship system.
We need your help.
If you know of someone going through struggles with Missouri’s public guardianship system, or if you have a case to highlight that exposes solutions for Missouri’s public guardianship system that could teach lessons to others, please email investigates@kmbc.com.
Full Article & Source:
Missouri public guardian pleads not guilty to eight felony counts
See Also:
Missouri elected guardian charged with 8 felonies for stealing from ward
Paper Prisons: Missouri woman details struggle to leave public guardianship after husband's death
Paper Prisons: Missouri man continues fight to free his mother from public guardianship
Sullivan County elected official accused of stealing thousands from disabled person
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