Investigation shows library official allegedly stole $210,000 in public funds
Published at
DUBOIS — The investigation into embezzlement at the Clark County Library District has revealed a great deal was allegedly stolen by a library board official.
Amanda Baker, 46, was charged with felony grand theft in August — after she reportedly admitted to stealing over $50,000. But after further investigation, it appears she may have stolen over $200,000 during her time with the district.
RELATED | Clark County Library Board official arrested after allegedly embezzling up to $50,000
According to court documents filed on Nov. 2, investigators with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office received complete copies of the library board’s bank statements. They were also given access to Baker’s bank statements and PayPal account.
After compiling all of the records, sheriff’s officials say Baker reportedly stole $210,000 in public funds dating back to 2017. That number is significantly higher than Baker admitted at the beginning of the investigation.
The investigation started in late August after Clark County Sheriff Mark McClure met with Baker after hearing about the alleged embezzlement, according to court documents.
The library was in the process of replacing its roof, and the contractor was expecting a check for $23,900. The sheriff said Baker lied to the contractor about the payment, because there wasn’t sufficient money in the district’s account.
She then admitted to the sheriff that she had been stealing public funds for about four to five years.
She was then asked how much money she had taken in total, to which she replied, “I’m not sure, maybe $40,000 to $50,000,” according to the police report.
The sheriff asked why she had been embezzling the money. Baker replied she “was just trying to survive” but could not elaborate when asked.
She was charged and briefly housed in the Clark County Jail, before being released on her own recognizance. Baker was ordered to check in with the jail in person every morning at a specific time. If she fails to, she could face going back to jail.
New details emerge
Further investigation into the embezzlement began in September. Baker met with Clark County Sheriff deputies again on Sept. 24. At the meeting, she reportedly signed a waiver and confirmed she did not want her attorney to be present for the meeting, according to court documents.
When asked how the embezzlement started, Baker told the deputies the embezzlement began when she stepped down from the library board as treasurer and became the bookkeeper in late 2017. Baker is still listed as the treasurer on the library board website.
Deputies asked her to review the financial records they had received. According to Baker, “any charges that looked suspicious were probably hers.”
She also told investigators that the library had two debit cards – one for her and one for another employee. Any other credit card payments were hers.
Baker reportedly admitted she had paid herself multiple times a month and listed the transactions as payroll “above and beyond what was authorized by the board.” She told deputies about a specific instance where she had paid herself $800 and called it an “annual salary” while continuing to pay herself monthly.
She also admitted to using the library account to make credit card payments to places like I.E. Citi Bank, Merrick Bank, Zulily, Amazon, Credit One, and Comenity Pay.
Baker reportedly stated that all PayPal charges were hers because “the library didn’t use PayPal for anything.” She said she would use PayPal as a “line of credit” to stores like TJ Maxx.
She also admitted to transferring library funds to her personal account to pay off her bills and that she would withdraw money from ATM’s, often over $100.
Further, when deputies asked her about charges to the library account from Walmart, she stated that she didn’t remember any specific Walmart purchases but said, “it is not impossible that they were her charges.”
Lastly, she admitted to getting money orders from the local post office using the library deposit card.
In total, the stolen funds amounted to approximately $210,000, according to court documents.
On Tuesday, EastIdahoNews.com reached out to Clark County District Library for comment about the theft, however, we did not received a response.
In August, EastIdahoNews.com reached out to the president of the Clark County Library Board, Connie Barg, who provided a short statement.
“It is under investigation, and we have no further comment,” said Barg.
Baker pleaded not guilty on Nov. 2, and she is expected to appear in court for a pre-trial conference on Dec. 20. A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024.
If convicted, she could face up to 14 years in prison.
Though Baker has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.