Austin Woman Pleads Guilty in Stewartville Embezzlement Case
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) – An Austin woman will be sentenced in August for a conviction stemming from the theft of tens of thousands of dollars from a Stewartville business.
41-year-old Trina Engler recently entered a guilty plea to a felony theft charge in Olmsted County Court. As part of a plea agreement, four other counts of felony theft will be dismissed. The charges were filed against Engler earlier this year based on an investigation launched by the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office after it was contacted last year by the administrator of the Stewartville Care Center.
The administrator told investigators it was suspected that Engler had embezzled a large amount of money and benefits over a five-year time span. The investigation determined that Engler allegedly failed to deposit over $50,000 in rent payments and security deposits from tenants. She was also accused of making $14,000 worth of personal purchases with a company credit card, using $13,000 in petty cash to mostly purchase Kwik Trip trip gift cards, and possibly collecting unearned PTO benefits valued at over $6000.
Her sentencing hearing will be held on August 14th.