MONROE - Joyce Ziehli, accused of embezzling about $850,000 from the New Glarus Home, had her preliminary hearing delayed due to the lengthy cross examination of three witnesses that did not allow for a fourth witness to testify.
Ziehli, 55, Belleville, appeared in court Wednesday where three witnesses testified including her former boss, a New Glarus police officer and a forensic accountant. Ziehli is charged with six felony counts of theft of more than $10,000 in a business setting. She worked at the home for 31 years, employed most recently as an administrative secretary.
Ziehli actively took notes Wednesday on a small flip-notebook during testimony, and she and her attorney Robert Duxstad flipped through large binders of paperwork throughout the hearing.
The witnesses were asked to look at evidence over a 10-year period from 2003 to 2013, like bank records, checks made out to cash or to Ziehli herself, and a memo from her former boss. Many of the checks in question were signed by a stamp signature of her former boss at the New Glarus Home, Roger Goepfert. Goepfert testified that he did give the stamp with his signature imprinted on it to Ziehli, but told her it was for emergencies only. Court records allege Ziehli used the stamp to authorize multiple checks either made out to cash or in her name.
Goepfert said Ziehli was responsible for a resident account that allowed for people in the home to deposit money - typically small amounts of about $50 - for recreational spending on things like presents or candy for their loved ones. Goepfert said it was brought to his attention that one resident account in particular had seemingly extravagant funds deposited into it. He confronted Ziehli and gave her an opportunity to explain why the account sometimes held amounts up to $4,000 or more.
"It was very brief because there was no explanation that made any sense," he said. "She was highly emotionally upset at the time, asking that she not be terminated."
Goepfert fired Ziehli on Jan. 28, 2013. Soon after, he asked their accounting firm Wipfli to look into their books and see if there was any wrongdoing. Michael Yankunas, a forensic accountant at Wipfli, and three other people were tasked with analyzing the home's records. Yankunas testified in court Wednesday that Ziehli allegedly pulled in money from insurance companies or private individuals to pay for New Glarus Home residents' bills.
Once the money was put into the home's general fund, on paper the bills would be paid. Then some of the money was taken either directly from insurance providers or out of the general fund and put into a resident account. From there it was further alleged that Ziehli was able to make out checks or transfer monies via electronic transfer from the resident account for cash, or to pay off her credit card bills. This convoluted structure is how the alleged loss of funds were never brought up by residents or bookeepers. As Goepfert said, when prompted by Duxstad, "I wouldn't have evidence that any money was permanently taken."
Yankunis said the loss of funds were never noticed because the home's accounts appeared balanced. Yankunis and his team strictly looked at the accounts processed by Ziehli, but they could not say where all the money went after she allegedly cashed in. He said they looked into the resident account about three months after Ziehli was fired.
"The total amount asked for by residents in the three months after she left was for $300," he said.
The preliminary hearing will conlcude on June 25.
Ziehli, 55, Belleville, appeared in court Wednesday where three witnesses testified including her former boss, a New Glarus police officer and a forensic accountant. Ziehli is charged with six felony counts of theft of more than $10,000 in a business setting. She worked at the home for 31 years, employed most recently as an administrative secretary.
Ziehli actively took notes Wednesday on a small flip-notebook during testimony, and she and her attorney Robert Duxstad flipped through large binders of paperwork throughout the hearing.
The witnesses were asked to look at evidence over a 10-year period from 2003 to 2013, like bank records, checks made out to cash or to Ziehli herself, and a memo from her former boss. Many of the checks in question were signed by a stamp signature of her former boss at the New Glarus Home, Roger Goepfert. Goepfert testified that he did give the stamp with his signature imprinted on it to Ziehli, but told her it was for emergencies only. Court records allege Ziehli used the stamp to authorize multiple checks either made out to cash or in her name.
Goepfert said Ziehli was responsible for a resident account that allowed for people in the home to deposit money - typically small amounts of about $50 - for recreational spending on things like presents or candy for their loved ones. Goepfert said it was brought to his attention that one resident account in particular had seemingly extravagant funds deposited into it. He confronted Ziehli and gave her an opportunity to explain why the account sometimes held amounts up to $4,000 or more.
"It was very brief because there was no explanation that made any sense," he said. "She was highly emotionally upset at the time, asking that she not be terminated."
Goepfert fired Ziehli on Jan. 28, 2013. Soon after, he asked their accounting firm Wipfli to look into their books and see if there was any wrongdoing. Michael Yankunas, a forensic accountant at Wipfli, and three other people were tasked with analyzing the home's records. Yankunas testified in court Wednesday that Ziehli allegedly pulled in money from insurance companies or private individuals to pay for New Glarus Home residents' bills.
Once the money was put into the home's general fund, on paper the bills would be paid. Then some of the money was taken either directly from insurance providers or out of the general fund and put into a resident account. From there it was further alleged that Ziehli was able to make out checks or transfer monies via electronic transfer from the resident account for cash, or to pay off her credit card bills. This convoluted structure is how the alleged loss of funds were never brought up by residents or bookeepers. As Goepfert said, when prompted by Duxstad, "I wouldn't have evidence that any money was permanently taken."
Yankunis said the loss of funds were never noticed because the home's accounts appeared balanced. Yankunis and his team strictly looked at the accounts processed by Ziehli, but they could not say where all the money went after she allegedly cashed in. He said they looked into the resident account about three months after Ziehli was fired.
"The total amount asked for by residents in the three months after she left was for $300," he said.
The preliminary hearing will conlcude on June 25.