Niles worker indicted on theft in office charge

WARREN

Heidi Powell, 33, of Niles, has been indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on one felony count of theft in office for purportedly stealing $731 from her job with the Niles Income Tax Department.

Powell, of West Park Avenue, is accused of taking payments from customers, providing a receipt, then deleting the payment from the computer and keeping the money. There were 11 thefts, Niles police said. She was suspended from the job Sept. 24, about the time she was charged with the offense.

A customer raised questions last month after a $50 payment for which she had a receipt had been deleted from the computer, said Niles Police Capt. Ken Criswell.

Powell also was convicted of misdemeanor theft in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in April for stealing $1,307 from her previous job, from which she was fired.

If convicted of theft in office, Powell could get probation or up to a year in prison.