SIOUX COUNTY – An Iowa woman is headed to prison for abusing a dependent person and stealing many thousands of dollars from her employer.
Thomas Kunstle, County Attorney for Sioux County, announced that Krista Ann Brown, 44, of Kingsley, Iowa, was sentenced today in Sioux County District Court for the crime of Theft In The First Degree, a Class C Felony, 714.1(10), 714.2(1). Assistant County Attorney Lori Ehlers prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Iowa.
This case arose in June of 2023, when an Orange City company contacted the Orange City Police Department reporting that their employee, Krista Brown, used a company credit card without authorization. Further investigation revealed Brown stole over $45,000 making unauthorized purchases from November of 2022 until June of 2023. At the time of the theft, Brown was on probation for a previous felony theft and dependent adult abuse convictions in Plymouth County, Iowa, resulting in Brown being charged as a habitual offender, having had two prior felony convictions.
On October 9, 2023, the State recommended Brown be sentenced to a 10-year indeterminate prison sentence for the Sioux County conviction to be served after, or consecutive, to Plymouth County’s 15-year sentence. On the same date, the District Court imposed the 10-year prison sentence, but further ordered the sentence be served consecutive to Plymouth County’s Theft in the First Degree 10-year sentence, while concurrent with Plymouth County’s Dependent Adult Abuse 5-year sentence. The Court suspended the criminal fines and gave Brown until October 9 at 3:00 pm to turn herself into the Plymouth County Jail.