Lake Mills woman accused of stealing money from Forest City group home clients gets deferred judgment

FOREST CITY — A Lake Mills woman who along with her mother was accused of stealing money from clients of a Forest City group facility for dependent adults has received a deferred judgment and probation after entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors. 

48-year-old Michelle Loth Dreier was originally charged with ongoing criminal conduct, a Class B felony, but later pleaded guilty to five counts of dependent adult abuse and was given a suspended five-year prison sentence, placed on five years probation, and was ordered to pay back the money to the victims while serving probation.

While she was a supervisor at the MOSAIC group facility, she was accused of stealing $2900 from five individuals at the facility over a period of a year and a half. Debit and EBT cards were used to the financial benefit of Loth Dreier and her daughter, Harley Loth. Harley Loth was charged with one count of ongoing criminal conduct and seven counts of unauthorized use of a credit card.

Harley Loth as part of a plea deal pleaded guilty to four counts of fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor. As part of the agreement, prosecutors recommended a deferred judgment with two years probation and that Loth pay victim damages, a recommendation District Judge Rustin Davenport agreed with when sentencing her this week in Winnebago County District Court.