Former school secretary charged with theft

A Lakeside Elementary School secretary who resigned over alleged embezzling has been charged with felony theft in Flathead District Court.

Sandy Hawkes resigned at the June 5 meeting of the Somers/Lakeside School Board after it came to light that thousands of dollars were missing from the Somers Classified Employee Union account, of which Hawkes was the treasurer.

According to a court document, Hawkes confessed to a co-worker on May 25 that she had been embezzling money from the account.

The document alleges Hawkes later confessed to law enforcement “that she had embezzled approximately, she believed, $5,000 from the union account to help pay personal bills.”

An audit of the account indicated, however, that roughly $8,970 had been embezzled from the account by means of forged and otherwise unauthorized checks.

If convicted, Hawkes faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 as well as restitution to the employee union. A book-and-release warrant has been issued for her arrest.

No hearings have yet been scheduled.