Terry Allan Messmer booking photo from the Cache County Jail.
LOGAN — A former professor at Utah State University has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from the school and agreed to pay back the money. Terry Allan Messmer, 70, accepted a plea deal to try and keep him from serving any jail time.
Messmer appeared Monday afternoon in Logan’s 1st District Court. He pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of public money, a second-degree felony.
Defense attorney David Perry explained that as part of the plea, Messmer was prepared to pay back $23,640 in restitution. Meanwhile, two remaining charges were dismissed and prosecutors agreed not to ask for any jail time at sentencing.
According to prosecutors, Utah State Police began investigating Messmer following an audit that showed he submitted travel forms to be “reimbursed money that was not owed to him.” The auditors found a pattern of fraudulent activity going back to at least 2018.
Police report that Messmer, who had been employed by USU for almost 30 years, submitted mileage reimbursement forms, claiming that he drove his personal vehicle on school business trips. Auditors discovered at least 24 trips where he drove a USU vehicle but claimed to be driving his own car and requested compensation for the miles.
The trip mileage was paid directly to Messmer, and dated from January 5, 2023 back to May 7, 2018, a probable cause statement detailed.
Officers were also given evidence of 10 incidents where Messmer claimed extra per diem and or lodging for his USU business travels. During these trips, he would add meals for payout that were not qualified for reimbursement.
On one occasion in October 2022, Messmer traveled to Centennial, Colorado for a Free-Roaming Equid Network site visit. During this time, his daughter was getting married in the same area. Statements showed he booked a multi-bedroom Airbnb but then allegedly altered the receipt, whiting out the house size and number of guests, before submitting it for reimbursement from the school, police reported.
Messmer was arrested May 1, 2023 and booked into the Cache County Jail. He was released the following day on bail.
During Monday’s hearing, Judge Spencer Walsh accepted Messmer’s plea deal after meeting with attorneys in chambers. He scheduled sentencing for Nov. 6.
Messmer was a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist in the Department of Wildland Resources in Logan. He reportedly left USU after being arrested and is no longer an employee of the university.