Ellsworth sentenced to 12-1/2 years for forgery

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter woman accused of stealing nearly $500,000 was sentenced to prison Thursday.

Kathy Ellsworth, 48, of Dexter, pled guilty on June 21, 2012 to forging what is currently believed to be a total of $485,000 in checks from her employer.

Ellsworth appeared in court Wednesday alongside her attorney, George W. Gilmore, Jr.

She was originally charged with 66 separate felonies: 34 counts of the Class C felony of forgery, 31 counts of the Class C felony of stealing and one charge of the Class B felony of stealing (in excess of $25,000).

Ellsworth pled guilty to the Class B felony of stealing.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in a Stoddard County courtroom by Sheriff's Deputy Hank Trout, the alleged money was taken during a period from Dec. 10, 2009, to Nov. 14, 2011.

The report states that Ellsworth, employed as a bookkeeper by the victim, allegedly forged the victim's signature on business checks. Trout went on to state in the affidavit that all of the checks Ellsworth wrote on the account were made payable to her husband. She allegedly forged her husband's name on the checks to deposit them into her bank account. The checks ranged from $1,383 to $9,846 each.

There is no indication in the filed reports that Ellsworth's husband was aware of what had transpired.

In accordance with Daily Statesman policy, the victim in the case has not been named in this report.