Former History Nebraska director asks for preliminary hearing over felony theft charge

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — The former director of History Nebraska, facing up to 20 years in prison on a felony theft charge, has asked for a preliminary hearing to substantiate the allegation.

Trevor Jones appeared via Zoom from an undisclosed location for a brief court hearing Thursday before Lancaster County Judge Tom Zimmerman.

At the request of Jones’ attorney, John Ball of Lincoln, the judge set Oct. 12 at 2:30 p.m. for the preliminary hearing, also known as a “probable cause” hearing.

Must show that a crime was committed

At that time, prosecutors must present evidence to demonstrate there is probable cause to believe a crime has been committed and that the case should proceed to a trial. It is typically a perfunctory hearing and is often waived by a criminal defendant, but it can help force negotiations over a plea deal.

Jones, 51, is charged with theft by deception of over $5,000 in connection with redirecting a donation from the Nebraska Historical Society Foundation to a foundation he helped create, the History Nebraska Foundation.

As COVID-19 first took hold in June  2020, Jones asked the State Historical Society Foundation to transfer $269,926 from its discretionary account to the state agency, to cover the anticipated loss of revenue from the shutdown of historical sites due to the pandemic.

But instead of depositing the money into the state treasury, as is required, and using it for COVID-19 needs, Jones signed over the check to a History Nebraska Foundation bank account he had created.

Part of the money, according to a state audit, was used to pay legal fees to set up the new History Nebraska Foundation.

Altered check

The State Historical Society Foundation also issued a second check of $325 to the state agency stamped “pay to the order of the State Treasurer.”

But the stamp was crossed out and then signed by Jones and deposited into the History Nebraska Foundation, of which Jones was a board member.

Jones’ attorney, as well as the chief prosecutor in the case, Assistant Attorney General Corey O’Brien, declined to comment after thecourt hearing, which lasted less than two minutes.

The Nebraska Examiner first reported in June 2022 that the State Auditor’s Office was looking into the mishandling of the foundation funds.

Jones resigned as History Nebraska’s director just before that,  in May 2022, saying he was moving to France and taking a break. In 2021, Jones was paid $170,825 a year to be director, according to Openthebooks.com.

He could not be immediately found after the Attorney General’s Office filed charges against him in June. Ball, his attorney, declined to say where Jones was when he made the Zoom call — it appeared to be from a living room.

Must appear in October

Judge Zimmerman emphasized during Thursday’s court hearing that Jones would have to appear in person at the preliminary hearing.

“Yes,” Jones responded.

An official with the State Historical Society Foundation said Thursday that the money Jones allegedly misappropriated has not been returned, despite a call a year ago by the State Auditor’s Office to do that.

Where things stand as far as hiring a replacement for Jones was not immediately clear Thursday.

In April, the History Nebraska Board moved to create a six-member search committee to pare down the candidates to two for interviews.

But others following the process said that in July, the board changed the search committee and made it clear a professional search term will be hired.

The minutes for the History Nebraska Board’s July meeting had not been posted as of Thursday. Board President Jamesena Moore did not immediately return phone calls and messages seeking comment and clarification.

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