Coroner pleads not guilty

Sanders County Coroner Kathy Harris has been charged with two felonies. Harris is charged with one count of elder exploitation and one count of exploitation of an older person, incapacitated person or person with a developmental disability.

Harris, of Thompson Falls, made her initial appearance in court on Tuesday before 20th District Judicial Judge James Manley, pleading not guilty to both counts.

According to documents filed by the Montana Attorney General’s office, the state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and Department of Justice received a referral in February 2017 alleging that Harris had financially exploited her elderly neighbor. The case was referred to DCI because Harris, the county coroner, is an elected official.

Documents allege that the exploitation began in 2014, when a caregiver living with he victim notified his family of suspicious activity by Harris. The investigation revealed “multiple checks totaling approximately $5,995” written from the victim’s account to Harris, according to court documents, as well as 10 checks totaling approximately $2,600 to family members of Harris between December 2015 and August 2016.

According to the charging documents, Harris “ultimately admitted she wrote and signed some checks to herself” from the victim’s account without his knowledge during the investigation, but “insisted all checks written to a member of her family were for services rendered.”

The investigation also found that the victim had a credit card account that included a credit card issued in Harris’s name. Court documentss state that between May 2015 and August 2016, the account records show thousands of dollars in charges were accumulated by Harris, and that payments, totaling approximately $8,000, were paid with funds from the victim’s checking account via online payments.

Harris admitted to investigators that she made payments using the victim’s bank account to pay off charges she incurred using the credit card issued in her name, according to charging documents.

The victim now resides in an assisted living facility.

The investigators also allege that the victim loaned a vehicle to Harris, which was never returned. Harris alleged in documents that the victim sold her the vehicle.

If convicted, Harris faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Judge Manley set a trial date of Feb. 25, 2019, for Harris.