After a state audit revealed massive corruption, the Florida town of Hampton could be completely wiped off the map if state lawmakers have their way, CNN reported.
Critics of the town which has almost 500 people argue that it has long existed for the sole purpose of enforcing a speed trap on a 1,260-foot stretch of highway, according to CNN. About 12,698 tickets have been issued between 2011 and 2012 and have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
The problem seems to be where the money went, CNN reported. Auditors were told by city officials that some of the records were "lost in the swamp."
CNN notes that while it does have a bloated police department, there aren't any other signs of extra wealth, though there are some signs of extravagance: the excess in fines allegedly resulted in a city clerk being overpaid to the tune of $9,000.
According to the audit, city employees charged $132,000 on an account at a BP convenience store located next to City Hall, CNN reported. Other alleged offenses include a failure to insure city police cars and failure to track what became of the revenue that came from ticketing motorists.
State officials including State Senator Rob Bradley are seeking to erase the city and make it a part of Bradford County, according to CNN.
Hampton cops were a fixture out on U.S. 301, CNN reported. They sat on lawn chairs, pointing radar guns at unsuspecting motorists, they even hid behind recycling bins.
The officers began to use SUVs to patrol the median strips in riot gear and toted state-of-the-art firepower, according to CNN.
Hampton's former mayor, Barry Layne Moore, was recently accused of selling oxycodone to an undercover police officer, CNN reported. Moore had only been mayor for a few weeks and is "not connected to the city's mess," and has called the city officials "either a bunch of crooks or a bunch of stupid people."
The alleged corruption goes back years and involves three full-time city officials, according to the audit, CNN reported. The speed trap has been so lucrative, the town of Hampton could afford to employ one police officer for every 25 residents.
Former mayor Jim Mitzel served from 2000 to 2008, and played a role in "greasing the revenue pipeline" from the speed trap, Mitzel told CNN. He also said he believed the money would go towards the town.
"Where did all the money go?" Mitzel asked, CNN reported. "I hate to say it, but in somebody's pocket."
If Hampton does not come up with a plan to "fix" their problem, Bradford County will take over the town, according to CNN.
