Former Boise County employee accused of stealing nearly $47,000 over two-year period

A former employee of the Boise County Clerk’s Office is facing criminal charges in connection with money missing from county coffers.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office in Fourth District Court Tuesday, Rana L. Klingner faces two counts of felony grand theft.

The attorney general is acting as a special prosecutor on the case.

The complaint accuses Klingner of wrongfully taking cash, checks and/or money orders in the amount of $46,922.33 — $28,261.12 in 2013 and $18,661.21 in 2014.

Boise County Commission Chairwoman Vicki Wilkins called for a forensic audit of county finances in May. She abruptly resigned from the commission a few weeks later. In June, Gov. Butch Otter appointed Laura Baker to fill that seat on the three-member board of commissioners.

Missing funds were disclosed in the county’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2014. The notes of that financial statement said the county had an estimated theft loss in the amount of $29,782 in fiscal 2013 and an estimated theft loss of $10,608 in fiscal 2014.

Auditors found significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting and errors in tracking capital assets. A lack of proper control over custody and recording of cash collections led to the theft of $40,390, the financial statement said.

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Former Boise County employee accused of stealing nearly $47,000 over two-year period."