County employee charged with theft

Thompson Falls woman Lisa Koker, a former deputy treasurer at the Sanders County Courthouse, has been charged with theft, tampering with public records and official misconduct. Koker allegedly took $704 cash from a county deposit in November. The missing funds were noticed in December.

A county employee noticed a discrepancy on Dec. 10 and the office verified that cash was missing from a deposit, according to charging documents. Upon further investigation, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) discovered that along with missing cash from a deposit, a cash property taxes payment of $1,971.56 made on Nov. 15, 2019, was also missing. SCSO reviewed video footage from transactions that day and it was revealed that Koker was the one who handled the transaction.

Charges filed against Koker also detail that she made a false entry into the county’s account system by back-dating receipts and failed to report missing cash to her supervisor, Sanders County Treasurer Nichol Scribner.

Koker had been working as deputy treasurer for Sanders County since Jan. 6, 2017. If convicted, Koker faces three years in jail and a $1,500 fine for the felony theft charge, up to $50,000 in fines and 10 years imprisonment for felony tampering with public records or information and up to $500 in fines and six months in jail for the misdemeanor charge of official misconduct.

An arrest warrant was issued for Koker on March 6, 2020, and her bail was set at $20,000. Her initial appearance in 20th District Judicial Court is set for April.