Eureka woman accused of embezzling from cemetery pleads not guilty

By JOHN BLODGETT

The Western News

Karen Doble of Eureka on Monday pleaded not guilty to one count of theft by embezzlement, common scheme, a felony, in the 19th Judicial District Court in Libby. She was arrested June 5.

Doble is accused of stealing about $57,000 from the Tobacco Valley Cemetery, commonly known as the Eureka Cemetery, beginning in 2009. She worked there for about 20 years, taking care of burials, handling maintenance and keeping the cemetery’s treasury report.

The cemetery is governed by a board of three Eureka residents and receives about $44,000 annually from Lincoln County taxpayers. Doble is not a county employee.

According to court documents, an investigation began in the fall of 2016 after Eureka County Commissioner Mike Cole filed a complaint with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The cemetery board had alleged to Cole that Doble had been embezzling money since 2009 or 2010.

Sheriff’s Detective David Hall met with the board, which explained it had first discovered hints of Doble’s financial misdeeds when Inter Bell Communications notified the board that the cemetery’s phone bill was past due and would be shut off if it remained unpaid. The board then discovered that the cemetery’s Lincoln Electric bills had not been paid on time either.

After the board began looking deeper into the cemetery’s accounting records, it discovered that Doble was paying herself more than 12 times a year — 19 times in 2014. From 2010 to 2015, Doble paid herself an additional $30,309, using several different accounting methods to cover her tracks.

Additional checks were written to Doble for personal use and cashed at Glacier Bank in Eureka. Doble was able to cover this account by noting in the treasurer’s report that the checks were made to other vendors and for different amounts, often for less than the check was actually written for.

Hall got an investigative subpoena to access Doble’s bank records from August 2008 to September 2016. It appeared that Doble began writing herself extra pay checks and other checks in June 2009.

According to the affidavit, Hall tried to interview Doble but after she responded once he was unable to reach her again. Hall concluded that Doble did not want to make a statement.

Doble is out on her own recognizance and will appear again before the 19th Judicial District Court in Libby on July 10 for an omnibus hearing.