CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Nueces County Board of Judges has appointed Elias Sissamis as the county's new auditor effective November 3, 2025, marking the third person to hold the position in less than four months.
Sissamis brings extensive financial leadership experience to the role, with over 15 years at the executive level serving as CFO and Controller, plus eight years in consulting.
The county auditor is appointed by the Board of District Judges and serves as the county's chief financial watchdog. The auditor prepares accounting records for all county funds, audits county departments, verifies the legality of disbursements, and serves as budget officer.
“The Board of District Judges is confident that Mr. Sissamis’s expertise and leadership will enhance the county’s financial management and continue to promote public trust in our local government,” said Judge David Stith, Local Administrative District Judge.
The appointment comes as the county works to restore stability to the auditor's office following financial irregularities uncovered in a forensic audit and a recent cybersecurity attack that could have cost the county nearly $2 million.
Grayson Meyer was appointed county auditor in May 2025 but was removed from the position on August 11, 2025. The Board of District Judges then appointed Constance Sanchez as Interim County Auditor.
Sanchez, previously a Chief Financial Officer for the City of Corpus Christi, was named budget officer for the county earlier this year, but stepped into the County Auditor role temporarily.
Earlier this year, Sanchez revealed that the county fell victim to a business email compromise scheme involving five separate fraudulent incidents, three of which resulted in financial losses totaling nearly $2 million. The attacks began in July, according to a county press conference.
The largest transaction of $999,214.12 will be fully recovered with assistance from Frost Bank, though it may take up to 120 days, Sanchez said at the time. A second loss of $937,777.10 remains under investigation. The smallest incident, involving $56,850, has already been fully recovered.
The sophisticated emails appeared to come from legitimate vendors requesting banking information changes.
Sanchez acknowledged that existing safeguards failed during the initial incidents and noted that formal written policies were not in place at the time under previous management. The county has since implemented strict protocols requiring in-person contact for any vendor payment method changes.
A forensic audit presented to commissioners in July 2025 uncovered major problems under a former county auditor:
- $3.75 million in unauthorized transfers that were never brought before the Commissioners Court, including $750,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $3 million in fiscal year 2021
- $10.1 million deficit in the county's health insurance fund
- Elevated fraud risk during the former auditor's tenure
"We determined that the county has had an elevated fraud risk during our review period, again underneath the former county auditor's tenure," Ben Kincaid, a partner with CRI Advisors, told commissioners in July.
Commissioner Brent Chesney called the findings "beyond disturbing" and suggested the district attorney should review the matter. He stressed that the issues involved the former auditor, not Meyer.
