STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A former Door County Humane Society director will spend nine months in jail after being convicted of stealing from the organization.
The Door County Clerk of Courts office says Carrie Counihan was also fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $22,803.02 in restitution on Friday.
Counihan had pled no contest to 5 misdemeanor counts of theft in a business setting, while 7 others were dismissed.
In order to operate the shelter, Counihan was allowed to make purchases under $1,000 without board approval. When board members became suspicious of the finances, a review of expenses was done. Those questionable expenses included clothing, food and hair appointments.
The criminal complaint says that over a five-year period, the questionable charges was “estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.”
Counihan admitted to using the shelter credit card on 86 transactions totaling $13,197.12. There may be another $9,605.90 in personal expenses she charged to the shelter, according to sheriff’s report attached to the complaint.
