Fire district's ex-bookkeeper gets 2 years in prison for theft

The Cimarron  Hills Fire District may have to wait awhile before it can recover any of the $113,205 that prosecutors said was stolen by a former employee.

A judge has sentenced Theresa A. Klein — who handled the district’s finances and bookkeeping — to two years in prison for her guilty plea to felony theft.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Barney Iuppa imposed the sentence on Klein, 44, on Sept. 24 after she tested positive for cocaine. He also ordered her to pay restitution to the district, which serves more than 15,000 residents along Colorado Springs’ eastern border.

Deputy Public Defender Amanda Philipps told Iuppa that Klein said she does not do drugs. However both a urine analysis and hair follicle test came back positive.

According to an arrest affidavit, the theft began to unravel in August 2008 when district officials began questioning cell phone bills.

That led to an inquiry in which district officials said they uncovered several financial irregularities, including:

• repairs and tires for vehicles that did not belong to the fire district

• a towing charge for Klein’s boyfriend

• unauthorized cell phone use and extra pay issued to Klein

Klein worked for the district for about 11 years. The board fired her on July 9, 2008.

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