Former employee of Columbus library facing charge

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Crime & Courts

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October 24, 2012

Former employee of Columbus library facing charge

news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Wed Oct 24, 2012, 11:16 PM CDT

COLUMBUS, Kan. — A former employee of the Columbus Public Library has been charged with felony misuse of public funds from the library.

Catherine Krause, 44, was arrested Saturday and has posted $10,000 bond. Charges were filed last week in Cherokee County District Court.

According to a news release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, detectives reviewed financial documents from Jan. 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2011, to collect evidence to support the charge. The investigation began in May.

The charge alleges that between $1,000 and $25,000 was diverted.

Acting Cherokee County Attorney Melanie Bingham declined to specify the amount taken. She wrote in an email to the Globe that several methods were used in the alleged crime, but she declined to specify any.

The library director referred questions to Columbus City Attorney Robert Myers, who didn’t return a phone message left by the Globe.

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