Caledonia Argus

Guilty plea entered in theft from church

Posted: 7/8/03

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

The woman accused of stealing over $35,000 from the Sunday offerings at St. Maryís Church has pled guilty to five counts of felony theft.

Julie Wittry, 40, Caledonia, entered her plea July 7 before Judge James Fabian in District Court.

Charges were filed in May after a police investigation in September 2002 in which Wittry, a staff member at St. Maryís Church responsible for counting church collections and preparing deposits, was seen on surveillance tape stealing funds. In a subsequent police interview, Wittry confessed to taking loose offerings and offerings in envelopes.

St. Maryís keeps records of individualsí offerings received in envelopes, and Wittry, who was responsible for virtually all of the contribution entries into the churchís computer, told authorities that sheíd made computer entries such that individual parishioners received credit for their contributions. The charges were based on the dollar amounts credited to individual parishionersí accounts for which corresponding funds were not received by the church.

The charges did not reflect money stolen from the loose offerings, and prosecutor Rick Jackson, representing the State of Minnesota, indicated that, though additional charges would not be filed to reflect the theft of loose offerings, since a guilty plea to those charges would not affect the sentencing, the amount of loose offerings taken should be reflected in the amount of restitution Wittry will be required to make. Jackson said the amount of restitution will be settled at a later hearing.

Jackson also indicated that he believes sentencing guidelines are such that Wittry will not see jail time.

At the close of the July 7 hearing, Wittry was released on her own recognizance.

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