Jenkins residents will not forget Julie Ohr's embezzlement of public funds or theft from Lakes Area Carpet for a long time, asserted Jenkins Mayor Jon Lubke in Crow Wing County District Court last week.
Lubke read from a prepared victim impact statement in Judge Earl Maus' courtroom at the May 30 sentencing hearing for Julie Ann Ohr, 40, of Pine River.
Ohr pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to one count of embezzlement of public funds and one count of diverting corporate property for taking money since 2005 from her employers while working at Lakes Area Carpet and Wood in Pequot Lakes and as the clerk for the city of Jenkins.
Ohr was sentenced May 30 to 21 months incarceration and 20 years supervised probation for two felony theft counts. She is expected to serve six months of the jail sentence and was ordered to pay $184,019 in restitution.
Defense counsel Charles Halvorson proposed that Ohr receive no jail time, saying, it would be a "financially tragic situation" and result in Ohr being unable to repay her obligations.
Halvorson told the court that his client planned to contest the restitution decision.
Maus ordered a payment schedule be defined and clarified that she could begin paying her restitution right away instead of waiting until after a decision on a possible reduced amount. The court is scheduled to hear that motion Aug. 26.
"We thought we found a good candidate," admitted Lakes Area Carpet owner Greg Lian of his original decision to hire Ohr as he addressed the court May 30. Lian said her position as city clerk and treasurer contributed to his decision to employ her.
Maus initially remanded Ohr into custody immediately; however, Assistant County Attorney Candace Prigge requested she report to the Department of Corrections the following week as is customarily done, according to Prigge. The judge agreed and ordered Ohr to report at 9 a.m. June 4, as was previously agreed by Prigge and defense counsel Charles Halvorson.
