Dysthe Goeden sentenced to probation
Kimberly Marie Dysthe Goeden received a sentence of up to three years of supervised probation Monday in Eighth District Court at Elbow Lake.
The 47-year-old Fergus Falls woman received a stay of adjudication from Judge Amy Doll. She was charged in December with felony swindle in connection with a multimillion-dollar embezzlement investigation involving the former Ashby Farmers Cooperative Elevator, Jerome Hennessey.
Theft by swindle in the state of Minnesota carries a maximum sentence not to exceed 20 years, a fine of $20,000, or both.
Dysthe Goeden served as a bookkeeper for the Grant County business during a period of time when Hennessey, presently serving a 96-month prison sentence in North Carolina, managed the elevator.
According to court records, during the course of an investigation into Hennessey's activities, a number of records relating to Dysthe Goeden were found. It was discovered she had issued checks, specifically between Dec. 30, 2014, and Aug. 28, 2018, that were not attributable to the daily workings of the business, but were signed by her on behalf of the business. Following a review by law enforcement, it was believed that $88,033.84 of elevator funds were inappropriately handled by Dysthe Goeden over an eight-month period. She had issued 27 checks for cash for her own use in the amount of $47,522 and issued or endorsed 65 other checks in the amount of $40,511.84.
Attorney Kent Marshall, representing Dysthe Goeden, said his client was ordered to repay $6,900, "an amount that is consistent with money she received that she wasn't authorized to receive."
Marshall added that while the amount Dysthe Goeden was charged with taking was very large, the charges were "not borne out by the evidence."
Dysthe Goeden's sentence of supervised probation comes with 13 conditions. She must also pay $500 in court fees.