Nevada: Clerk who stole $202K in Washoe ordered to prison

Clerk who stole $202K in Washoe ordered to prison
Written by
MARTHA BELLISLE

Saying the court clerk who stole $202,000 in court funds to pay for her gambling addiction violated the public trust and damaged the court’s reputation, a judge on Thursday sentenced her to five years in prison.

Teresa Prince will be eligible for parole after serving one year under the sentence ordered by District Court Judge Michael Gibbons of Minden. Gibbons oversaw the case because Prince stole from the Washoe District Court, which impacted its judges.

Washoe County Chief District Attorney Dan Greco urged the judge to sentenc her to three concurrent terms of four to 10 years, but Gibbons opted for three concurrent five-year terms for each of the three felony grand theft counts.

Before the sentencing, Washoe District Chief Judge Connie Steinheimer testified that Prince’s theft of court funds “had a tremendous impact on the court” and on the “Washoe County citizens that entrusted her to keep the money safe.”

Prince’s lawyer, John Arrascada said he was disappointed that the judge declined to send her to a diversion program, saying he thought he had presented a solid argument for sentencing her to probation instead of sending her to prison.

Prior to sentencing, Prince apologized to her family, which filled half the courtroom, and said she was sorry to the judges and court personnel, “for the trust that was broken and the embarrassment my actions have caused the court.”

“I ruined my reputation and now I have to start over,” Prince told the judge. “My primary focus is to maintain my recovery and to pay back the money I stole.”

Prince was a supervisory clerk when she used old or closed case numbers to make checks out to her husband from a trust account that covered court-ordered payments.
The thefts involved 44 checks dating back to 2009 until the thefts were discovered in February.

Prince disclosed that she had a gambling addiction and used the stolen money to pay for her gambling habits. She went into treatment after the crime was discovered.
Two mental health experts testified that Prince is a gambling addict and that she has successfully addressed her problems.

Joe Mcellistrem, a clinical psychologist who has worked extensively on issues of addiction said Prince’s gambling addiction was similar to addictions to drugs or alcohol.
“She has been in treatment for over six months and has not relapsed,” he told the judge. If a diversion program was granted for Prince, “I think she would be successful,” he said.
In arguing for diversion and probation, Arrascada also said that Prince’s husband is disabled and she needs to be around to help him.

And Reno lawyer Marylou Wilson testified that Prince has been working in Wilson’s law office as a clerk and has done research and writing. Wilson said Prince has been remorseful and has vowed to repay the money she stole.

Judge Gibbons said it was important that Prince repay the funds and said that he was sure that she would still have a job with Wilson regardless of when she was released from prison.

The sentence is designed to have a deterrent effect, he said.

“This type of behavior can’t be tolerated,” he said. “The public does have a trust, and there has to be a high standard to show there is confidence that the system will work.”