Former employee pleads guilty to theft

By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Trumbull County employee has lost her job and will spend some time in confinement -- all over $140.
Rachel Montler, 45, of Stewart Drive, Warren, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to theft in office, a felony.
Montler, who was clerk at the county sanitary engineer's office, pleaded to a bill of information. She worked for the county from March 3, 1997, until she resigned Nov. 3, 2005. She was being paid $27,539 when she quit her job.
A bill of information usually means an agreement had been reached by the prosecutor's office and defense attorney rather than the case being presented to the grand jury.
Awaiting sentencing
Montler was released from custody after posting a $1,500 bond set by Judge Andrew Logan.
Judge Logan ordered a presentence report be conducted. Montler could be sentenced to a maximum 10 months in jail and fined $2,500.
Chuck Morrow, an assistant county prosecutor, said Montler took less than $500 from the register at the sanitary engineer's office in August.
Morrow said some confinement will be required, which is standard in such cases, along with making restitution. Confinement may be house arrest with electronic monitoring.
Morrow said the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact amount she took.
Her attorney, Philip Vigorito, said the amount in question is $140.
Asked why Montler took the money, Vigorito responded that he isn't certain she took it. He said that Montler pleaded guilty because she wanted to get the case behind her.
yovich@vindy.com