Former Emerado city auditor changes plea in theft of city funds case – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – A former Emerado city auditor changed her plea Thursday, September 26, in the criminal case filed against her for stealing city funds.

Wendy Jane Sullivan, 60, pleaded guilty to theft over $50,000. Her second class A misdemeanor charge of misapplying more than $50,000 in entrusted property will be dismissed.

Suspected theft and misapplication of city funds were reported to the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations in April 2022. An examination of the city’s Alerus Financial account and Sam’s Club card revealed numerous questionable transactions, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

More than $8,000 had been spent at Sam’s Club, with the purchases including a wide variety of items including gasoline and steak strips. Questionable charges and withdrawals from Alerus’ financial account totaled nearly $18,000.

When Sullivan worked as a city auditor from March 2019 to March 2022, she was the only person responsible for the Sam’s Club card and debit card, the affidavit said.

She was also in charge of writing paychecks to city employees and appeared to have overcompensated herself for her work by nearly $90,000, the affidavit said.

The total of all reported misapplied or stolen funds is $115,613.58.

Class A felonies carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. A plea agreement has not yet been filed as a number of conditions — including restitution — are still being worked out, according to the state.

The verdict is scheduled for November 22 at 1:30 PM.