A Texas county official has been federally indicted in an alleged payroll scheme that prosecutors say turned public jobs into private favors.

The accusations involve county-paid workers allegedly caring for an elderly relative, a full-time employee who was also working in Chicago, false timesheets, remote clock-ins and even a Cash App transfer.

The official at the center of the case is Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector Carmen Patrice Turner.

A federal grand jury indicted Turner, 65, along with Shemerrylyn Regina Fields, 47, and Victor Calvin Ewing, 69. The charges include conspiracy, theft concerning federal program funds and wire fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced the case Thursday.

Prosecutors allege Turner hired Fields and another person as deputy tax clerks, then directed them to care for her elderly mother during regular county work hours. According to the indictment, those workers were instructed to clock in and out remotely through the county’s telephone timekeeping system while reporting that they were performing official county duties. This arrangement would mean taxpayers were funding positions on the tax office’s books while the workers spent county time providing private care.

Prosecutors further allege Turner hired Ewing as a full-time department coordinator even though he already held a full-time job in Chicago and allegedly was not going to perform the Fort Bend County position’s duties. According to federal authorities, Ewing continued working in Chicago while collecting a county salary. Prosecutors also allege he agreed to send part of his county pay to Turner and made at least one transfer to her through Cash App after a payroll deposit.

The indictment states that Turner, Fields and Ewing allegedly relied on false timesheets and concealed their actual activities while preserving access to county computer systems.

Federal prosecutors also alleged a costly mistake involving WebDealer, the system used by county tax offices and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to process vehicle registrations. Turner allegedly used Ewing’s credentials to access the system while he was working in Chicago. In one alleged transaction, Turner approved a vehicle cost of $295,836.92 instead of $29,583.92. This error caused a major discrepancy in sales tax automatically withdrawn from the dealership’s bank account.

The federal charges include wire fraud: Turner faces six counts, while Fields and Ewing each face three. They also face theft involving federal funds: Turner and Ewing each face two counts, and Fields faces one count.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for each wire-fraud count. Theft concerning federal program funds carries a maximum of 10 years, while the conspiracy charge carries up to five years. Each count also carries a possible fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI and Texas Rangers investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting it.

These are allegations, and an indictment is not proof of guilt. Turner, Fields and Ewing are presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.