SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A former clerk at the Somerset County district attorney’s office was sentenced Friday to three years in prison with all but 16 months suspended in connection with the theft of more than $90,000, much of which was intended to reimburse crime victims.
Julie A. Smith, 58, of Skowhegan pleaded guilty in May to a Class B theft charge, according to Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin. The plea agreement called for Smith’s underlying sentence to be three years with the judge deciding how much would be suspended.
Robbin recommended Smith serve 18 months while defense attorney Walter “Woody” Hanstein urged Superior Court Justice Robert Mullen to consider having his client serve 60 days.
“I think the judge imposed an appropriate sentence, given the amount of money involved, her serious health problems and her lack of a criminal record,” Robbin said. “She was re-victimizing victims.”
Part of Smith’s job was to collect payments for supervision and restitution from defendants. She took much of the cash home between April 21, 2010, and Oct. 9, 2014, and deposited it into her personal bank account, the prosecutor said.
Smith spent the money at Waterville area restaurants and vacations to Disney World and Cancun, Mexico, Robbin said.
“The judge ordered her to pay $60,000 in restitution because with her medical problems he felt should would not be able to repay the full amount of $91,345,” the prosecutor said.
Smith’s thefts were discovered by a co-worker, who remembered that a $300 restitution payment had been made with three $100 bills, Robbin said. When she went to look for the bills there was no cash in the bank bag at Smith’s desk, where they were supposed to be.
“The practice was to paperclip together bills submitted as cash payments and put a sticky note on the top bill indicating who had made the payment,” the prosecutor said. “When Smith’s house was searched, sticky notes were found in her home and trash.”
Smith would enter that payments had been made into the computer but did not turn over most of the cash to another employee to be deposited in the bank along with the checks, Robbin said.
Smith was ordered to begin serving her sentence Oct. 17 at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, so she may address pending medical issues, Robbin said after the sentencing. Smith remains free on $5,000 cash bail.
She faced up to 10 years in prison and fine of up to $20,000.