A Vernon County mayor is accused of forging checks - KOAM TV 7

A Vernon County mayor is accused of forging checks

The Vernon County, Missouri sheriff's office arrests the Sheldon, Missouri mayor, accused of writing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of forgery accounts.

On Friday Robert Sewell, the mayor of Sheldon, was arrested for over $300,000 worth of forged checks.  Mayor Sewell has been accused of forging checks to himself since 2008.

We tried contacting Sewell at his home, but there was no answer.

City officials say that Sewell will continue his responsibilities of mayor.

"He's going to continue to do his job," says Robert Moran, the President of the Board of Alderman.  "If he chooses to recluse himself then I would take over instead, but unless he does that, he is still the mayor and he is still innocent as we're concerned and so he'll continue on, making decisions and taking actions as mayor."

Sewell's preliminary hearing is set for September 10.

CORRECT:  Robert Sewell's last name was initially misspelled.  It has since been corrected.