MADISON COUNTY, Iowa — Court documents are revealing what prompted an investigation into Madison County Treasurer Amanda DeVos that ultimately led to her arrest on Friday.

DeVos, 37, was taken into custody on charges of Felonious Misconduct in Office, Tampering with Records, Fraudulent Practice in the third degree, and third-degree Theft. An initial statement from Madison County Sheriff Jason Barnes didn’t reveal specifics on what the charges were based on, only that they stemmed from her duties as the county’s treasurer.

Criminal complaints filed in the case claim the Madison County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous report on November 21st, 2024 that DeVos got her vehicle registration plates without paying for them and records were changed to show that she had paid. After the anonymous report, the MCSO said it was contacted by the State Auditor’s Office which had received a similar report.

The complaint said because the State Auditor’s Office’s report on its investigation wouldn’t be completed for several weeks, Sheriff Barnes met with DeVos on January 30th “who admitted to making false government records to show she had paid her vehicle(s) registration fees.”

Sheriff Barnes also met with a witness who worked in the Madison County Treasurer’s Office, who informed the State Auditor’s Office about the issue in November 2024, to corroborate the information.

Records showed DeVos paid $758 for registration tags that she did not actually pay for.

Additional charges against DeVos are pending.

A statement on behalf of the City of Winterset stated that the city was not involved in the criminal investigation surrounding DeVos and that hundreds of thousands of dollars that were erroneously deposited into the city’s account by the treasurer’s office were “unrelated to the charges and indictments.”