Charges filed

SANDERS COUNTY – Charges against a Plains resident accused of embezzling from a local business owner were reinstated last week by Sanders County Attorney Robert Zimmerman according to information supplied by Plains Police Chief Shawn Emmett.

According to the affidavit, Vickie Caswell of Plains will be charged with three felony counts of theft of property by embezzlement in connection with an incident that took place at the High Plains Bar last December. Each count carries a possible punishment of ten years of incarceration and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

According to information within the affidavit, Caswell was an employee of the High Plains Bar owned by Ronna LaPierre of Superior. Employees of the business, including Caswell, were allowed to advance themselves money from the bar up to 50 percent of their next paycheck. On Oct. 16, 2014, LaPierre discovered that Caswell had violated the company policy by advancing herself $1,050 which, according to the affidavit, was at least twice what her next paycheck would have been.

LaPierre advised Caswell that her behavior was unacceptable and she would need to pay back the advance immediately. Caswell informed LaPierre a few weeks later she had paid back a portion of the advance but LaPierre had no way to verify the statement. On Dec. 1, 2014, LaPierre discovered Caswell had again violated the policy by advancing herself $2,053.

At this point, according to the affidavit, LaPierre was advised by her attorney to fire Caswell immediately but chose to keep Caswell employed to try and collect on the debt. The affidavit continues to state Caswell had access to the cash compartments of gaming machines at the bar as well as access to other sources of revenue and was authorized to access gaming money.

On Dec. 31, 2014 at approximately 11 a.m., Caswell called 911 from the bar and reported someone had entered the establishment and stolen gaming money she was counting. Caswell said she went into another room and when she returned, the money was gone.

Plains Police Chief Shawn Emmett responded to the call. Caswell proceeded to show Emmett security camera footage which showed a male subject enter through the front door of the bar and steal the money from behind the counter. The video showed the male subject exit the same way he entered. Emmett then went next door to the Sinclair gas station and also reviewed their security camera footage.

According to the affidavit, Emmett recognized the individual as Louis Charles Dolan of Plains. The Sinclair video showed Dolan exit his residence, cross over East McGowan Street and continue to walk near the side of the Sinclair station before disappearing from view near the High Plains Bar.

Emmett was able to determine from the times on the two videos that Dolan had walked past the Sinclair station just seconds before entering the bar. LaPierre reported that $5,040 was stolen from the bar. Based on the information obtained from the security camera footage, a warrant for the arrest of Dolan was issued and he was apprehended the same day by Emmett.

Following his arrest, Dolan stated he wanted to inform Emmett of what had actually happened. According to Dolan, Caswell came to his residence on Dec. 31 and told him to get into her vehicle which he did. According to Dolan, during the ride, Caswell allegedly told him that she and LaPierre wanted him to enter the bar as if he were robbing it. Caswell allegedly told Dolan that they wanted to learn whether they needed more security cameras and whether the angles of the existing cameras were sufficient.

Dolan stated that Caswell gave him a hooded sweatshirt and a ball cap to wear. When asked where the clothes were, Dolan told Emmett that Caswell had come back to his residence a few days later and taken the items of clothing.

He also stated that, by this time, he was aware a robbery had been reported.

According to the affidavit, when asked if Caswell had said anything to him he replied that he had stated his reservations about getting into trouble but that Caswell had assured him to “relax she would take care of it.” Dolan stated he simulated the act of taking the money but had not actually stolen anything.

Emmett contacted the Sinclair gas station and requested the security camera footage be reviewed to see if Caswell’s vehicle had indeed been to Dolan’s residence the morning of Dec. 31.

Emmett was notified that Caswell’s vehicle could indeed be seen arriving and leaving prior to Dolan entering the High Plains Bar.

According to information within the affidavit, Emmett said that Caswell had also contacted LaPierre and stated that, although she did not take the money, she was attempting to “round up $5,000” to pay to LaPierre.

The same day, Dec. 31, the vending company that leases the gambling machines to the bar was scheduled to arrive and count the money from the machines and divide it proportionally between the bar and the vending company.

According to the affidavit, Caswell would have been aware of the schedule as the vending company always arrives on Wednesday.

After the company counted the money from the machines and took its portion of the revenues, it was discovered that instead of the $6,601. 28 that should have been for the bar, there was only $1,561.28.

The shortfall was $5,039.05 and according to the affidavit, it was suspected that the robbery was designed to conceal the discrepancy.

It was not known at press time when the trial would commence. Attempts to contact the Sanders County Attorney’s office for a statement regarding why the charges were initially dropped and then resubmitted were met with a response of no comment.