Jefferson County Courthouse

The Jefferson County Courthouse is reflected in a fountain in Birmingham, Ala., Monday, August 5, 2013. (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)

(MARK ALMOND)

By Kyle Whitmire and Kent Faulk

Jefferson County personnel records show an employee in the county's information technology department confessed in July to stealing at least 200 cellphones from the county and selling them on the black market. The employee, Denise Trimmier, was put on leave and terminated after an investigation by the county, the records show.

Trimmier's scheme, which began in 2014, is the subject of a federal investigation, sources at the county have told AL.com on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the matter.

"I am not able to comment on any investigation," County Manager Tony Petelos told AL.com last week. "We will always work with any agency with any investigation, and take appropriate action."

Efforts to reach Trimmier by email and by phone were unsuccessful.

In a two-page signed declaration and a three-page handwritten letter to Petelos, Trimmier explained how she executed the scheme.

As the county information technology department's communications coordinator, Trimmier says, she ordered phones from Sprint on the county's account when the company offered upgrades. Rather than using the phones at the county, Trimmier says she sold the phones to a South Carolina company, Redevice LLC.

"Although I cannot recall the exact number of phones I sold to Redevice, to the best of my knowledge, I sold over 200 new Sprint phones that I had ordered on the Jefferson County Sprint account."

Trimmier said the Redevice paid her $20 to $40 more per phone than what the county paid to Sprint.

In the letter to Petelos, Trimmier said she had been consumed by guilt while she was caught up in the scheme and expressed relief at being caught.

"I have felt nothing but guilt over my actions for two years and the shame has nearly destroyed me physically and emotionally," she said. "This was not only an affront to you and the County but also to my faith and God and has been a burden to my soul."

In the letter, Trimmier said she had been dealing with family issues, including a separation from her husband. Court records show she sued for divorce from her husband in August.

Despite confessing to the thefts, she seems to have held out some hope of saving her job.

"If there is some way to allow me to continue with you, I will promise to pay you back if allowed from my checks," she wrote. "I also promise to be the best county employee and to work until proven so."

Trimmier wrote the letter to Petelos on July 14.

County personnel records show she was fired on July 18.

While a federal investigation is believed to be ongoing, Trimmier has not yet been charged with any crimes.

Jefferson County Trimmier termination documents by Kyle Whitmire on Scribd