A central Wisconsin woman charged with stealing more than a million dollars from her employer has entered a no contest plea. Bonnie Hartle of Auburndale was found guilty of stealing $1.3 million from a Weiler Convenience Store in Marshfield over an eleven year period while she was the manager.
After entering the plea at her preliminary hearing in Wood County Court on Tuesday, Hartle was ordered to spend a year in jail, followed by thirty years of probation, plus restitution. She was able to return $50,000 immediately, but her attorney said the rest is gone due to a gambling problem.
The investigation began last December. Marshfield police said it wasn’t easy to trace, but they estimated that Hartle was pocketing about $1,000 dollars a week while managing the store. The Weiler family has been friends with Hartle for years, so they were surprised to discover where the missing money was going.
Hartle is currently free on bond, but must report to serve her sentence within 60 days.
WSAU