County employee pleads guilty to using public funds for personal use
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IDAHO FALLS — A former Bonneville County employee has pleaded guilty to felony misuse of public funds after making personal purchases using her county issued credit card.
Shalee Sibbett Claiborne was the community service coordinator with Bonneville County juvenile probation. She worked as a contractor and then a full-time employee in the department for over 10 years.
Her spending was discovered in August 2017 by a coworker “who had concerns because there was a lot of expenses that where unaccounted for,” according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.
The coworker became suspicious following several incidents where Claiborne did not turn in receipts for purchases made on her county issued credit card. Instead, Claiborne accused her coworker of losing the receipts.
According to court documents, Claiborne purchased over nine gallons of gasoline at the Maverick in Soda Springs in June 2017 totaling $25. When questioned by coworkers, she said she purchased a Barnes and Noble “Hello Kitty” gift card worth $40 but was able to buy it on sale for $25.
In another incident, Claiborne’s coworkers received a billing statement that showed a $150 charge to Dixon Horseshoe Design. Claiborne did not turn in a receipt for this purchase, according to court documents, and when she was asked to provide proof of purchase, she emailed a receipt with a hand written note describing the purchase.
Claiborne’s supervisor looked in the area where garden supplies are stored and nothing matched Claiborne’s description.
Investigators met up with the man who sold the items to Claiborne and he said she told him “she was wanting to buy the items to put in the community garden and she would be purchasing them with a Bonneville County credit Card,” documents say.
After driving by Claiborne’s residence, deputies noticed all of the items purchased from Dixon Horseshoe Design were in her flower beds.
These were not the only questionable purchases made by Claiborne.
In March 2017, she was authorized to purchase candy at Sam’s Club using her county credit card. Investigators learned she also bought a sports bra, a par of capris and a pair of lounge pants totaling $29.20.
When questioned by coworkers, Claiborne denied making the purchase. In a email, she wrote, “I don’t purchase sports bras or lounged pants….lol….so I’m not sure what this purchase is or why my name is attached to it.”
Sam’s Club surveillance footage reviewed by deputies show Claiborne handing the clothing items to a sales clerk and using the credit card for the purchase.
Claiborne was originally charged with two counts of grand theft but, as part of a plea agreement, the charges have been amended to one felony count of grand theft and one felony misuse of public funds by a public officer or employee. The count of grand theft will be dismissed at sentencing.
Claiborne was sentenced for misdemeanor public funds-use of moneys or financial transaction card or account for personal use on Aug. 1 in Caribou County. She was ordered to pay $257 in fines as well as restitution for the purchase of the gasoline. This is the same incident at Maverick in June 2017.
Claiborne is no longer listed as a county employee. She is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 19. in Bonneville County.