A former office coordinator for the Sioux Rural Water System in northeast South Dakota pled guilty to several felony counts of embezzlement and grand theft.

An audit found that Brenda Lee Anderson had diverted over one point one million dollars to her personal accounts between 2005 and 2012. She was sentenced to fifteen years in the state penitentiary, plus a fine of thirty thousand dollars, and was ordered to repay the water system over one point one million dollars.

Jim Thyen of Waverly is vice chair of the water system board of directors and says Anderson had set up duplicate records…

 

Thyen says while the money taken was significant, they are recovering…

 

Thyen says board rules led to a lack of continuity on their management…