Plea hearing set in bank thefts

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint woman accused of taking more than $1,000 from Wells Fargo Bank is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Deanna Spurgeon, 59, is charged with one count of grand theft, which is punishable by up to 14 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Charging papers say Spurgeon stole the money sometime between 2002 and 2007. The amount of money involved is not specified in court records, only that the sum qualifies for a felony theft charge.

Spurgeon, according to court records, worked at the bank and took the money during an unidentified corporate merger in 2002. The funds were stolen in increments and required ongoing efforts to keep the theft from being detected, court documents said.

Spurgeon apparently turned herself in by reporting the thefts to Sandpoint Police, Det. Corey Coon told Judge Barbara Buchanan during a probable cause hearing on May 3.

Spurgeon waived her right to a preliminary hearing, which would have required the prosecution to persuade a magistrate court judge to determine if a district court trial is justified.