CLEARFIELD – A 78-year-old woman accused of stealing over $14,000 from an Osceola Mills church pleaded guilty Tuesday during sentencing court.
Police say Dorothy Louise Lowe of Hawk Run was the treasurer of the St. Laurence Church when she made out checks to herself, and used the church’s debit card to make withdrawals in 2022.
Her attorney, Ryan Dobo, stated that she was trying to help her son out and provide for him. He acknowledged that employee thefts usually require a 90-day jail sentence in this county but argued that due to her age, she is not a candidate for incarceration, adding that her previous record consisted of only a traffic offense.
She had signed an open plea, meaning her incarceration was up to the court.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman noted that he had received several letters in support of Lowe.
Assistant District Attorney Brittany McCracken stated that the chief financial officer of the church wants her to pay the restitution but did not want her to serve any jail time.
Lowe addressed the court apologizing saying she was faced with a problem and chose this way “to resolve it” and she should not have done this.
Before sentencing her, Ammerman noted that she embezzled the funds over a period of time.
He sentenced her to serve 60 days to one year in jail with three years concurrent probation for three misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, she made a check out for $2,000 to herself on Feb. 18, 2022 and another on Feb. 23, 2022 for $500.
She reportedly made 33 ATM withdrawals totaling $10,870 over a span of months with the first done on Feb. 20, 2022 and the last on Sept. 19, 2022. She also used the card to pay her auto repair bill on June 16, 2022, which totaled $107.05.
In addition, while she was in charge of collecting the donations each Sunday and depositing them, there was a discrepancy between the amount collected and the amount deposited of $1,126.
Authorities say she stole a total of $14,603.05.
In an interview with investigators on Jan. 16, 2023, she admitted to taking all the money, according to the report.
She was originally charged with 47 counts each of felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.