Former Water District Employee Charged With Forgery
The former office manager of the Irvin Water District has been charged with forgery, nearly two years after a state audit found she had falsified district records.
The audit also found Betty Skillingstad, 45, had misappropriated over $2,500 in water district money, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in District Court on July 7.
“At this point, she’s only charged with forgery,” said Deputy Prosecutor Carlin Jude. But, Jude said, “That could be amended.”
Skillingstad was arrested Monday. She was released on her own recognizance. She could not be reached for comment.
Skillingstad served as office manager of Irvin Water District No. 6 for nine years. The district serves about 1,000 customers in the Trentwood area.
She resigned in 1995, following audit findings that she falsified district records and misappropriated funds. Her husband, Don Skillingstad, has served on the district’s board of commissioners since 1994.
A tip from a concerned citizen led the state Auditor’s Office to investigate the water district’s accounting records in 1995. The audit found that Skillingstad, who was responsible for all accounting functions, had been overpaid about $1,400 for vacation time. It also found that about $1,100 in district money had been used to pay for a medical insurance policy for Skillingstad’s daughter’s family, according to the affidavit.
The forgery charges stem from the audit’s finding that Skillingstad altered a district resolution and the minutes of a meeting to make it appear that the insurance payments had been authorized by the board of commissioners.
According to the affidavit, Skillingstad admitted to Assistant State Auditor Allina Johnson that she copied commissioners’ signatures onto a resolution. Two commissioners later confirmed that the resolution in question was false. They also confirmed that the minutes to a 1992 meeting had been altered. A paragraph, according to the affidavit, had been added to the bottom of the page below the commissioners’ signatures.
Deputy Prosecutor Jude said charges are only now being filed due to the long investigation.
Skillingstad will be arraigned on Tuesday.
, DataTimes