Felony theft charges were filed Monday alleging that a former employee of the Flower Box stole money.

Wednesday, March 08, 2000

Felony theft charges were filed Monday alleging that a former employee of the Flower Box stole money.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Mower County Third Judicial District Court, Lisa Marlene Andersen, 28, of 1913 Sixth Ave. SE, was charged with eight counts of felony theft.

Douglas P. Hillemeier, then owner of the Flower Box, 302 Main St. North, first reported allegations of the thefts in 1998.

He was forced to enlist the assistance of the state of Minnesota’s victim’s ombudsman in getting the case prosecuted after the Austin Police Department concluded its investigation.

Hillemeier said he was forced to go out of business because of the financial losses he sustained.

Austin Police Detective Sgt. Thomas A. Stiehm investigated the case. According to Stiehm’s complaint, Hillemeier told him he noticed shortages in the receipts at the Flower Box beginning in February 1998. The money was missing from bank deposits.

Hillemeier said Andersen had recently been employed at the Flower Box to help manage the business. Among her duties were to close the store and deposit the day’s receipts.

When Hillemeier installed a surveillance camera, he told police he saw Andersen taking money.

When Hillemeier confronted Anderson, she denied the thefts.

Stiehm asked Hillemeier to record a conversation with Anderson on the telephone and Hillemeier agreed.

The conversation took place Oct. 27, 1998 and throughout the conversation, Andersen is heard admitting taking the money, according to the criminal complaint.

However, Andersen only admitted to stealing "around $3,000."

Then, Stiehm reviewed the surveillance tapes himself and he saw Anderson removing money from the cash register and placing it in her purse or pocket.

Stiehm’s investigation included speaking with Nicole Hillemeier, daughter of the business owner. The daughter told the detective that Andersen admitted to taking cash from the store.

Next, Stiehm asked Hillemeier to create an inventory of cash that had been taken from the store and he produced monthly lists showing cash missing from deposits.

Hillemeier went through receipts from the store’s only cash register showing the amount of money taken in from business and to be deposited.

Hillemeier also compared the amount of cash deposited with the amount of receipts taken by store employees and recorded on the cash register’s tape.

Each time there was less money deposited than was taken in daily trade while Andersen was working at the business.

Also, Hillemeier told Stiehm a second time one of Andersen’s responsibilities was to deposit the business’ receipts in a local bank and during her eight months of employment, about $18,420.26 was missing.

The eight felony theft counts accuse Andersen of intentionally taking money in each of the eight months she was employed by Hillemeier.

The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine for each count where more than $2,500 was taken and five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for each count where more than $500 but less than $2,500 was taken.

No court date in the case has been set.

Andersen was charged by complaint summons mailed early this week.