WARREN — Vanessa Clark, 59, of McDonald Avenue in Niles, a former employee of the auto title division of the Trumbull County Clerk of Courts Office, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to one count of theft in office and five counts of tampering with records, all third- and fourth-degree felonies, for stealing $1,906 in cash from the Auto Title office.

Clark, who was dismissed from her county job during the investigation, will be sentenced after she undergoes a background investigation. Judge Sarah Thomas Kovoor told Clark she could get more than 16 years in prison.

At the end of the hearing, Kovoor revoked Clark’s bond, saying Clark had violated the trust of the public and of the county office where she worked. Clark was taken into custody.

In addition to stealing $1,906 in cash from the Auto Title office, Clark also tampered with office records to hide the theft, according to prosecutors.

ANOTHER CASE

Also Tuesday, Allan Patchin, 36, of Burwell Road, Leavittsburg, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts related to child pornography: four counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material/performance and six counts of pandering sexual matter involving a minor, all second-degree felonies.

Kovoor said Patchin could get up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced later and will be declared a tier 2 sex offender. The charges followed an April 2025 investigation conducted by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI into child abuse videos/photos taken from Patchin’s electronic devices.