Former Palouse Ice Rink bookkeeper faces felony theft charges

A former bookkeeper for the Palouse Ice Rink is being charged with 18 felonies, including nine counts of grand theft and nine counts of forgery, after a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon in front of Magistrate Judge John Judge.

Mary C. Bentley, 30, was the ice rink’s bookkeeper from May 2014 to April and is suspected of stealing more than $34,000 from the rink located at the Latah County Fairgrounds in Moscow.

Residents use the facility to play hockey, figure skate and curl.

The felony charges involve the alleged theft of more than $21,000. She also faces 23 counts of misdemeanor petit theft.

Catherine Mabbutt, public defender, asked Judge to dismiss the charges against Bentley. Among the reasons why was that manager Chris Storhok was conducting activities not sanctioned by the organization’s board of directors and he “fired her without board authority.”

Judge said Mabbutt’s argument that Bentley was owed money by the ice rink for extra hours worked and rent for working in her home “just doesn’t add up.”

“The amount is far in excess of what could be justified,” he said. “She was not given a license to steal from the ice rink.”

Storhok denied giving Bentley permission to write checks to herself for extra hours worked.

Storhok said he didn’t sign checks to her that appeared to have his signature. He didn’t deny allowing her some privileges after the board said she should no longer have certain check-signing privileges.

He also said he fired Bentley after he was dismissed by the board in the spring once the thefts came to light.

“Everybody was fired,” he testified.

Bentley will return to court at 1:30 p.m. Monday.