Wausau Pilot & Review
A Nov. 22 Marathon County jury trial for a former accountant accused of stealing more than $155,000 from a Stratford business is no longer on the court calendar, according to online court records.
Police say 51-year-old Cora Karpinski, of Trego, pilfered the funds by issuing duplicate paychecks to herself and issuing unauthorized advances and bonuses.
Karpinski faces felony theft charges filed in July 2018 in Marathon County Circuit Court. The charges were filed six weeks after the owner of the business contacted police about the suspected theft.
Court documents show the business owner hired an outside accountant to investigate the company’s financial records and document the suspected losses.
According to a criminal complaint, Karpinski regularly issued duplicate paychecks to herself, placing them in a stack of outgoing checks to be signed by the business owner, who did not immediately notice the deception. Karpinski also gave herself unauthorized time off without pay and reimbursed herself for private cell phone bills, police said.
The total loss including fees paid for outside accounting services is estimated at $169,521.79.
Karpinski is free on a $20,000 signature bond. She faces up to 10 years in the Wisconsin Prison System and a $25,000 fine if she is convicted of the single felony theft charge.
A motion to take the trial off the calendar was approved Oct. 22 by Circuit Judge Greg Strasser. This marks the second time the trial has been delayed.
New court appearance dates are expected to be set Nov. 10.
