A Parkville Special Road District employee has been charged with receiving stolen property after authorities found evidence unauthorized purchases were made on the taxing entity’s business account. Kurt Eckard, 49, of Smithville faces a felony charge in the case.
Eckard is an employee of the Parkville Special Road District and is the son of Parkville Special Road District presiding commissioner Brenda Teters, recently re-elected to her post. She received 1,698 votes (52.01 percent) in the April 2016 general municipal election to edge out Phil Medlock, who received 1,544 votes (47.29 percent).
Kurt Eckard
According to court documents, Platte County Sheriff’s Office detectives were made aware of Parkville Special Road District receipts apparently for personal use purchases in August of this year. The purchases were for vehicle parts at two local auto parts stores.
Eckard signed for the purchases totaling more than $1,200, charging them to the Parkville Special Road District account. The purchases in question ranged from February 2015 through June 2016.
Items purchased at one of the stores were for a 2003 Dodge Durango, a 1998 Chevrolet and a 2005 Dodge Ram. According to court documents, the Parkville Special Road District only uses two International trucks and seven Ford trucks.
The items included a cooling fan assembly ($98.30), tie rod ends and sleeves ($210.20), a sway bar kit ($116.57) and a hub assembly ($177.23).
At the other auto parts store, Eckard signed receipts for purchases totaling more than $1,300. Items included a blower motor and blower motor resistor ($229.56), an ignition control module ($129.75), a hub assembly and trailer wire connectors ($262.81) and a fuel pump ($259.75).
According to court documents, a Parkville Special Road District manager advised employees are not authorized to make personal purchases and charge the items to the road district. He also indicated Eckard had not reimbursed the Parkville Special Road District for any of the purchases in question at the two auto parts stores.
Records of the Parkville Special Road District indicate all invoices for the two auto parts stores through June 2016 have been paid by the district with district funds. Eckard did not return phone calls nor acknowledge attempts by Platte County Detectives to contact him regarding the case.