Woman accused of embezzlement expected to plead guilty following new felony charges
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IDAHO FALLS — A 31-year-old Idaho Falls woman is expected to plead guilty after being charged with 15 felonies regarding an embezzlement scheme from a Presbyterian church organization.
Kaitlyn Fisher was initially charged with three counts of felony grand theft. She was later also charged with four counts of felony Idaho state income tax evasion, four counts of felony perjury, and four counts of felony access or using a computer to defraud or obtain money.
According to court filings, Fisher recently accepted a plea agreement. In exchange for the prosecution agreeing to dismiss all remaining charges, she agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony grand theft, one count of felony Idaho state tax evasion, and one count of felony perjury.
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The agreement also states both sides will recommend a minimum of three years in prison at sentencing.
Fisher is expected to appear for sentencing on Sept. 18 in front of District Judge Bruce Pickett.
Background
Court documents say on Oct. 14, 2022, an employee of the Presbytery of Kendall reported that Fisher, the administrative clerk, had been embezzling from church funds.
The Presbytery of Kendall is an organization that oversees the Presbyterian churches in the eastern Idaho area. According to a church newsletter obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, Fisher was the administrative executive assistant.
EastIdahoNews.com has attempted to contact the Presbytery of Kendall by phone and email for comment and did not receive a response.
The reporting party told police the staff had not met for annual financial review meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, she repeatedly asked Fisher, who acted as a secretary and bookkeeper, for a summary of the church organization’s financials.
In October 2022, the board of trustees chair obtained the organization’s bank statements after asking the banks directly.
In the statements, the employees reportedly discovered “numerous unauthorized purchases and transfers out of both accounts via Venmo and PayPal as far back as 2020.”
The two employees confronted Fisher on Oct. 10, where she allegedly admitted to making the unauthorized transfers and purchases.
On Dec. 6, an Idaho Falls Police officer contacted Fisher about the allegations, and she denied stealing the money.
Over a week later, the officer contacted a criminal investigator with the Idaho State Tax Commission, who was able to issue and serve subpoenas for Fisher’s PayPal and Venmo account records.
In the transaction history, investigators discovered at least $338,458 worth of unauthorized purchases made from Fisher’s account, allegedly using church funds between January 2019 and October 2022.
According to police reports, Fisher used the money to buy a red 2018 Honda 4-wheeler from Action Motor Sports, to pay The Yard Butler, a local landscape designer and debited between $280,890.01 and $281,474 from the church organization’s Wells Fargo account.
Venmo account records showed Fisher’s Venmo account was linked to the church’s Wells Fargo account as a payment method for transactions.
Transaction descriptions further show Fisher allegedly used the money to pay for child care, furniture, a dog, dog waste cleanup, food, gasoline, her mortgage, and supplies/labor to finish the basement of her new house.
Between July and October 2022 alone, Fisher allegedly spend at least $38,801.84 from the church’s Idaho Central Credit Union account.
A warrant was issued for Fisher’s arrest on May 3, and she was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on May 7. Her bail was set to $30,000. She posted bond and was released on the same day.