Embezzler could see prison time
SANDPOINT - Prison could be in the future of a Priest River woman convicted of embezzling from her former employer.
Nicole Jody Lynn Love failed to appear at court hearing in March, resulting a $40,000 bench warrant, 1st District Court records show. She was arrested on the warrant in Clay County, Tenn., in July and was returned to Idaho.
Love, 39, made an initial appearance in Bonner County Magistrate Court on Monday via video feed from the jail. A disposition hearing is set for Sept. 21.
Love was accused of embezzling as much as $46,000 from CityServiceValcon, a fuel distribution business, in Oldtown in 2010. Love was an assistant manager at the business.
Love entered an Alford plea to a charge of grand theft, meaning she admitted no wrongdoing but conceded she could be convicted if her case went to trial.
Love was given a suspended five-year prison term and ordered to serve 90 days of local incarceration. She was allowed to serve the term on weekends and was accused of feigning medical issues to avoid serving the time.
Love was summoned to court in March to discuss her compliance with the terms of her probation. Bonner County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shane Greenbank also planned to recommend that Love be placed in the Idaho Department of Correction's retained jurisdiction program, court records show.
Under that program, Love would serve up to a year in prison before a decision is made to release her onto probation or order her to serve the suspended term.
Love was accused of violating her probation in 2014 for drinking alcohol after her damaged minivan was found in a field in Oldtown. Love told investigators that two men tried to kill her the previous evening by poisoning her.
Love allegedly absconded from probation in April by failing to advise her probation officer of her whereabouts, according to court documents.
"Ms. Love may best benefit from a confined treatment program with the ability to aid her in developing into a person that may be suitable for probation and safely reintegrated back into society," Probation and Parole Officer Ron Buck said in court documents.