One count each of theft in office and tampering with records were dismissed.
The plea was filed three days before her trial was scheduled to start Monday.
Hockett is set to be sentenced on Feb. 26.
Hockett worked in the licensing department before she was fired on Nov. 26, 2024, according to the auditor’s office.
In a statement released in December 2024, Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith said Hockett was responsible for the theft or destruction of about $189,000 in licensing fees between May 2023 and July 2024.
In June 2024, the auditor’s office was conducting its regular settlement of cigarette license fees when they noticed a shortage.
They reportedly contacted the prosecutor’s office once they realized fraud may have occurred.
“As our joint investigation continued, we found shortages in other license receipts as well,” Keith sad. “After several weeks of extensive research, we discovered a common thread. Cash and checks were only missing on days Jodi Hockett was assigned to complete the daily deposit.”
Hockett reportedly admitted to taking cash and destroying the checks during a conversation with the prosecutor’s office.
“I am angry, I am outraged and I feel betrayed,” Keith said. “All of us who work in the county auditor’s office are in positions of trust."
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