Hearing set in theft case

SANDPOINT — A Naples autism therapist accused of fleecing her clients is scheduled to be arraigned in 1st District Court on Wednesday.

Krista Louise Kreiger-Hurst waived her right to a preliminary hearing in Bonner County Magistrate Court on April 4, which bound her over to 1st District Court to stand trial on two counts of grand theft and two counts of financial transaction card fraud. She is free on bail while the case is pending.

Kreieger-Hurst is accused of unlawfully obtaining a woman’s financial transaction card last year and running up $3,193 in fraudulent charges at local and online businesses, in addition to making cash withdrawals, according to a Ponderay Police probable cause affidavit.

The alleged victim immediately identified a partially disguised Kreiger-Hurst as the caregiver to her autistic daughters and crumpled to the floor upon recognizing her in the footage, according to court documents.

Kreiger-Hurst, 48, is further accused of stealing a Sagle woman’s debit card in January to make fraudulent purchases. The alleged victim in that episode told investigators that Kreiger-Hurst was a former caregiver.

Kreiger-Hurst allegedly confessed to the thefts when she was confronted by police.

She asserted that she had fallen on hard times financially, although a personal journal recovered by investigators in which Kreiger-Hurst acknowledged that she stole and manipulated in order to continue gambling, court records indicate.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.