Trial nears in felony theft case

SANDPOINT — A trial is looming for a Naples autism therapist accused of defrauding her clients, 1st District Court records show.

Krista Louise Kreiger-Hurst is scheduled to be tried on two counts of grand theft and two counts of financial transaction card fraud on Sept 11. She pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this year.

No plea agreement emerged during a pretrial hearing on Friday, court records indicate.

Kreiger-Hurst, 49, 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 cash withdrawals, according to a Ponderay Police affidavit.

Police cued up video of an ATM withdrawal and observed a woman with a coat zipped all the way to the top and a flu mask. The alleged victim fell to the ground upon recognizing her daughter’s autism therapist in the surveillance video.

Kreiger-Hurst was confronted about the thefts and allegedly confessed, saying that she was having a hard time making ends meet, according to the affidavit. During her arrest, a personal journal was recovered and it contained entries acknowledging that she stole and manipulated so she could gamble.

Kreiger-Hurst is further accused to stealing a Sagle woman’s debit card in January. The card was used to make fraudulent purchases, court records indicate. The Sagle woman described Kreiger-Hurst as her former caregiver.

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