APPLETON, WI (WLUK) — The former treasurer for the Black Creek Rescue Service was convicted Friday of stealing from the organization, and was sentenced to up to two years on probation.
Kathleen Pasch, 64, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of theft in a business setting. She was also ordered to pay $7,700 in restitution. If the restitution is not paid within 60 days, however, she would have to serve a month in jail. Eleven forgery counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement to avoid a trial, scheduled for next month.
Pasch forged checks and made numerous ATM withdrawals to fund a gambling habit, according to the criminal complaint – though her attorney disputed that motivation Friday.
The criminal complaint detailed more than 300 suspicious transactions between 2015 and 2018, totaling more than $130,000. However, Judge Emily Lonergan previously dismissed one count of theft of more than $100,000 because the state failed to preserve evidence in the form of a thumb drive with records on it. She ruled the failure to keep and turn over possibly exculpatory evidence meant Pasch could not be tried fairly on that count.
At Friday’s hearing, Nathan Riehl, a representative of Black Creek Rescue Service, said members feel betrayed by Pasch, whose actions undermined the community’s trust in the department.
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