Former Camden motel manager pleads not guilty to theft
CAMDEN – A Camden woman accused of stealing approximately $40,000 from the Lodge at Camden Hills pleaded not guilty to the charges Sept. 28 at her arraignment before Judge Susan Sparaco in Knox County Unified Court.
Kelly Hill, 38, of Camden, was arrested March 9 by Camden Police Detective Curt Andrick for allegedly stealing from the Lodge and was released on $5,000 bail. Hill was charged with felony theft, which is a Class B offense since the amount she stole was allegedly more than $10,000.
Hill was previously scheduled for a July court appearance but her attorney, William Pagnano, of Rockland, and Assistant District Attorney, Jeffrey Baroody, agreed that more time was needed to gather additional information from the state, including financial records and a comprehensive forensic accounting audit report. Pagnano suggested then that the case be continued to September and Baroody did not object to the motion to continue, according to court documents.
Hill was indicted Aug. 6 by the Knox County Grand Jury for felony theft by unauthorized taking.
Her next court appearance will be Dec. 18 for a dispositional conference.
According to the court documents, Andrick was first contacted by owners of the Lodge after they noticed suspicious charges and discrepancies with the books.
The owners provided bank statements to the police that included charges they said were made by Hill for shopping trips, medical bills, travel, and veterinary services for her two dogs. Hill was authorized to use the business’ checking account and debit card.
Documents highlighted alleged unauthorized purchases, including at spa and hair salon visits, motels in Michigan, New Hampshire and Vermont, for airline charges and eye care, and at Michigan and Maine restaurants, as well as PayPal transfers.
The owners also allowed Hill to live at the Lodge without paying rent and have personal use of a company car.
The detective declined to comment further while the case is still under investigation.
Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
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