COEUR d'ALENE - Coeur d'Alene police investigating a suspected case of embezzlement by a former longtime Kootenai County employee have determined about $139,000 is unaccounted for from a 10-year period.

Coeur d'Alene detectives received a report Dec. 7 from Kootenai County Clerk-Auditor Dan English of an employee - named by English as chief deputy clerk Sandy Martinson - possibly embezzling money. David Cole, Cda Press More here.

Alison Boggs SR story:

Kootenai County’s former chief deputy clerk is suspected of embezzling $138,905 over 10 years, ending in October, the month before she retired, Coeur d’Alene police said Wednesday.

Sandy Martinson, 62, has not been charged or arrested. Coeur d’Alene police, however, sent a formal request for charges to the Bonner County prosecutor, who is handling the case because Martinson worked for Kootenai County. Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said he hopes to make a decision by late next week. Potential charges include grand theft and felony misuse of public funds, Marshall said.

The suspected theft highlights a funding loophole within the county that commissioners and the finance director say they are trying to close. More.

Life in a small town has many wonderful benefits. It also has it's drawbacks in that when things like this occur, people are quick to take sides based on who they know instead of the information being presented.

Why do you think the Lake City has seen so much political turmoil recently?

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