Former DSS employee found guilty of stealing from Child Protection Services

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced on Thursday that Lonna Carroll, a former DSS employee, was found guilty of stealing an estimated $1.8 million in state and federal funds from the department’s Child Protection Services.

Carroll was found guilty by a Hughes County jury of two felony counts of Aggravated Grand Theft.

“I feel that this verdict restores the public’s trust in state government, that we will take action when these things happen, and I feel that this restores trust in state employees,” Attorney General Marty Jackley said.

She faces up to 40 years in prison and $80,000 in fines.

“This was a violation of trust by someone who had access to public funds,” said Jackley. “She stole money from the accounts of children who were in the custody of DSS, and now she is being held accountable for her actions.”

Attorney General Marty Jackey says he believes Lonna owned up to the crimes she committed.

“There was a level of remorse in her interview with DCI that I plan to give her credit for at least with my recommendation, I saw a level of remorse in the courtroom that will factor into my recommendation.”

The defense called up just one witness to testify on Thursday and that was Logan Aukes, a Certified Public Accountant at Williams & Company. Aukes went through a breakdown of just where the Department of Social Services went wrong in terms of establishing a system to prevent fraud.

One of the biggest flaws he acknowledged was the fact there were no checks and balances in place to ensure Carroll couldn’t make a request to withdraw funds and then approve of that request when she did eventually use the money withdrawn for her own personal means.

That only fell on deaf ears for the prosecution as they used the metaphor of an unlocked door and that it does not mean Carroll is not guilty of theft.

Evidence showed that Carroll used funds entitled to accounts of kids under Child Protection Services to purchase retail items, expenditures at one point matching her annual salary.

After a short deliberation, the jury found Carroll guilty on both counts.

A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Jackley did not say whether or not he would recommend the full forty years possible.