Texas City woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from Galveston County Health District

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A Galveston County Health District employee has been arrested after she stole a massive amount of money from the district, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.

Nikole Martinez, 34, of Texas City, was charged with property theft valued at $2,500 to $30,000, a third-degree felony.

According to court documents, she was hired as the administrative assistant with the environmental division at the Galveston County Health District on May 30, 2024. Her duties were similar to a cashier, and she worked at the front desk alone for the environmental division, documents said.

Court documents show that there had been concerns about cash payments not matching with what the accountant's bookings were showing.

In October 2024, there was an audit that had a significant amount of checks and cash unaccounted for, which resulted in Martinez and another woman being placed on leave. Investigators say that Martinez did not submit any documents or deposit at the time of the audit.

"My client denies these false accusations and plans to fight to prove her innocence," Martinez's attorney, David Maly, said.

Martinez is currently being held at the Galveston County Jail.