Woman sentenced for stealing from union fund

The former Lakeside Elementary School secretary who admitted embezzling thousands of dollars from an employee union account must now pay more than $6,600 in restitution.

Sandy Hawkes, 36, was given a six-year deferred sentence Thursday in Flathead District Court by District Judge David Ortley. Hawkes also was ordered to pay $6,661.36 in restitution, a $500 fine and a $400 public defender fee.

Hawkes stole the money from the Somers Classified Employee Union account, for which she was treasurer. On May 25, 2013, she confessed to a coworker. She later resigned from her position at the school during a June 5 meeting of the Somers/Lakeside School Board.

During the sentencing hearing, Ortley said he had a difficult time deciding between a deferred or a suspended sentence as Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan said school employees and administrators requested.

Corrigan noted that the school staff did not want Hawkes to serve any time in jail.

Hawkes’ attorney, Courtney Nolan, requested the deferred sentence. She pointed out that Hawkes came forward from the start, calling a woman from the union and meeting with the school principal for several hours the next day before voluntarily traveling to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and making a statement.

“This had a drastic effect on her life,” Nolan said.

Ortley said Hawkes was “otherwise a very good citizen” and that she was already going to face challenges with employment as a single mother with a felony conviction.

“It’s obvious to me that you have suffered perhaps more than a suspended sentence would impose on you,” he said.

Ortley said the primary issue at hand was trust.

“You were placed in a position of trust and violated that trust in several respects,” he said, later adding “You’re in a mode in your life where you’re repairing the damage you’ve done.”

Ortley called Hawkes’ restitution repayment her “first and primary obligation in life,” requiring that she not drink or purchase alcohol, enter bars or gamble during her sentence. He also banned her from incurring any new debt without the permission of her probation officer.

Her probation officer also may require her to complete some community service.

If Hawkes does not violate the conditions of her sentence and finishes paying off her restitution before the six years is up, she can petition the court to dismiss the remainder of the sentence.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.