Prosecutors say Boise-area woman embezzled more than $1 million from government employer
A federal grand jury has indicted a Meridian woman for embezzling over $1.7 million from an irrigation district where she worked.
In September, the Black Canyon Irrigation District sued former employee Catherine Skidmore for embezzlement. On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the criminal indictment of Skidmore on 25 counts of wire fraud and 24 counts of money laundering.
Skidmore, 55, was the secretary/treasurer for the Black Canyon Irrigation District in Notus, which serves over 60,000 acres in western Canyon County, from 2014 to July 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Skidmore handled fee collections and bill payments and managed the district’s bank accounts.
In its lawsuit, the irrigation district said it fired Skidmore on July 6, for “dissatisfaction with her work ethic.” An FBI investigation found that Skidmore opened a second bank account with the Idaho state treasurer that purported to be for the irrigation district but it was actually for her personal use.
The grand jury found that Skidmore falsely represented the irrigation district’s board of directors by saying she was paying district expenses while actually paying her personal expenses, the release said.
The jury found that Skidmore illegally obtained at least $1.7 million from the scheme.
Skidmore is scheduled for trial on Monday, March 13, before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Nye in Boise. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
