Sentencing postponed in TLC embezzlement case

SANDPOINT — Sentencing is on hold for a Sagle woman accused of embezzling from a Bonner County-based group that provides humanitarian aid in the African bush.

Defense counsel for April Leigh Mathews moved to postpone sentencing so further work can be done in determining restitution in the case, according to U.S. District Court documents.

Mathews pleaded guilty in August to five counts of making false statements on credit card applications. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mathews agreed to pay restitution, but she reserved the right to contest the amount of restitution.

Mathews, 40, entered the pleas to resolve allegations that she embezzled from The Luke Commission by forging checks and taking out unauthorized lines of consumer credit. Federal prosecutors alleged that Mathews, the commission’s former bookkeeper, misappropriated $259,624, but used some of her funds and cash draws from the fraudulently obtained credit cards to replenish accounts she was siphoning money from.

The government contends at least $107,464 remains unaccounted for. Mathews was to be sentenced on Oct. 14.

Since Mathews entered the pleas, the defense has been poring over discovery materials to determine the appropriate amount of restitution.

“There is voluminous amounts of discovery with a number of credit cards and accounts which were allegedly used in the transactions. Counsel is literally going page by page in the discovery in an attempt to simplify this for the parties as well as support the argument that we believe the restitution is less than that indicated by the government in the plea agreement,” federal public defender Amy Rubin said in her motion to continue sentencing.

Senior U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush granted the defense motion on Oct. 1, court records indicate.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Cook did not object to the defense’s request for a six-month continuance.