Kendrick woman faces felony forgery counts

A Kendrick woman is accused of stealing more than $121,000 from her employer, M Industries, between 2016 and 2019.

Amy L. Roetcisoender, 49, is charged with four felony counts of forgery and four felony counts of grand theft. Police allege Roetcisoender wrote 75 checks totaling $121,488.40 and deposited them in her credit union and bank accounts or used them for automatic clearinghouse payments to her credit card.

Roetcisoender was arraigned by video Monday afternoon in Nez Perce County Magistrate Court, where Nez Perce County Magistrate Judge Michelle Evans set a $5,000 bond in the case.

Lewiston police said Roetcisoender worked at M Industries, also known as Morgan Industries, from January 2016 until December 2019 as the accounts payable and receivable manager. Marko Morgan, owner of M Industries, told police in November about the fraudulent transactions that were caught by Banner Bank Vice-President Gina Rinehart, according to court records.

Morgan, who was often working with his crews on projects in Alaska, gave Roetcisoender his signature stamp to streamline the paying of bills, payroll and payroll taxes. Police said Roetcisoender started writing checks to herself in June 2016. She allegedly wrote 13 checks for about $12,700 in untaxed money that was deposited into her Clearwater Credit Union account in 2016.

Roetcisoender wrote 35 checks for about $54,000 in untaxed money that were deposited into her CCU account, Lewis Clark Credit Union account and Wells Fargo Bank account in 2017, court records said.

She allegedly wrote 20 checks in 2018 for about $23,800 that were either deposited in her LCCU or Wells Fargo accounts or used to pay her personal Chase credit card.

In 2019, police said, Roetcisoender wrote seven checks for about $34,600 that were either deposited in her LCCU or Wells Fargo accounts or paid to her Chase credit card.

Court records said Roetcisoender made about $42,400 in payments to her Chase credit card. Police allege Roetcisoender altered the company’s QuickBooks accounting software to show the funds went to other companies or agencies.

M Industries is a Lewiston company that specializes in excavation and landscaping, asphalt, concrete and foundation work.

The maximum penalty in Idaho for felony forgery is 14 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The maximum penalty in Idaho for felony grand theft is 14 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Evans set a preliminary hearing in the case for July 29 with an alternate date of July 31.

Michael Wells may be contacted at mwells@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275.