Former court worker arrested in Ohio for parole violation

Monica D. Krauss, 39, formerly of Cape Girardeau, was arrested March 31 in Hamilton County, Ohio, on a fugitive apprehension warrant for violating her probation, Doug Copeland, district administrator of Jefferson County, said Monday.

Copeland declined to comment on the details of the probation violation, but said it involved payment of the $40,000 in restitution that a Jefferson County judge ordered Krauss to pay after her May 2005 arrest.

Krauss worked for four years as a restitution clerk with the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's office. Her duties included cashing checks from a Cape Girardeau County account set up to repay crime victims, according to court documents.

Krauss took several checks that were submitted by defendants to pay restitution to victims. She then changed the names on some of them and converted them to her own use.

Krauss pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery in October 2006.

She enlisted the help of two accomplices, Monique Evans and Denise K. Johnson, to help cash the checks. Evans and Johnson also pleaded guilty to related charges. Krauss also conned a 90-year-old woman into participating, whom authorities believe was unsuspecting of the crimes.

Krauss received a sentence of five years in prison for each of the two forgery charges. Because she served 120 days of her sentence without incident, she was placed on five years' probation, on the condition that she pay back the money.

She was required to make restitution in the amount of $40,000 to the prosecuting attorney's office in monthly increments of $600.

In March, Krauss's probation was suspended and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

She was apprehended in Ohio, where she'd been living, Copeland said.

The process of extraditing her to Jefferson County had already begun, Copeland said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245

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