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School District Employee Pleads Guilty In Theft Case

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(credit: Jupiter Images)

(credit: Jupiter Images)

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The former business manager for the Chokio-Alberta School District pleaded guilty in Minneapolis Federal Court on Friday to stealing $275,000 from the district.

Liane Claassen, 43 of Chokio, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She was charged May 2.

In the plea agreement, Claassen admitted to using the district’s computer to pay herself more money than her salary allowed from July 1999 through August of 2010. As the business manager for the district, she was responsible for payroll to all the district employees and was trusted to authorize bank transfers.

Claassen also admitted to illegally transferring money to her retirement account and covered up the scheme by misrepresenting the district’s financial condition to her employers.

Claassen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the crime.

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  • Hugh Jorgan

    I hope you rot in your jail cell for the rest of your life there Liane Claassen, 43 of Chokio. I suppose your family knew and benefited from your illicit behavior too, huh? Great – making for a bunch more future thieves that prey on our American society I’m sure… Not only did you rip off the very children of your community, but you ripped me and every other Minnesotan off at the same time too, after all, who do you think makes that money available? Man, if I could stick my boot right up your keister…

    • saddened

      Family was not aware

  • Ron Z

    Why do Democrats hate America?

    • whats the point

      why do you dum#a**’s allways turn every story on here polititcal??? GET A LIFE!!!

  • The Architurd

    Oh, I see, uh huh.

    • Pair of Choppers

      It’s just me and grandma here.

      Anyone can come.

  • spartan

    She will not do 20 years…..probably 20 months or less. Just a slap on the wrist.
    That is why she agreed to the plea agreement. I hope the money was worth it to her seeing as how she traded the trust of the small town community for it. A
    community that she grew up in and went to the same school that she stole from.
    I feel bad for the small town residents that have been trying to keep this small school going so that they would not have to merge with surrounding bigger school systems. No sympathy for Liane at all….she chose to steal from them.

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