A former employee of the First Judicial District of Iowa has been sentenced to two months in federal prison for stealing money meant for children in the Juvenile Court System. Nicole Foelske, 41, from Jesup, Iowa, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in November of last year.
According to the plea agreement and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Foelske admitted to misusing a work-issued credit card. While employed in the Juvenile Court Services section, she was supposed to use the card to buy items and gift cards for children in the court system, including those in Child in Need of Assistance cases. Instead, Foelske used the card for personal purchases, including transferring the value of gift cards to her bank account. More than 200 unauthorized transactions on the credit card amounted to over $100,000.
Sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids under United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Foelske received a two-month prison term and a $2,000 fine. Post-imprisonment, she will face six months of home confinement and must serve three years of supervised release. Additionally, Foelske has been ordered to pay restitution of $107,745.46 to the Iowa Judicial Branch, a sum she has already reimbursed. It's noted that the federal system does not offer parole.
Following the sentencing, Foelske was released on bond and is set to report to the Bureau of Prisons at a future date.
Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office.