Former Mpls. police officer convicted of theft and forgery

Former Minneapolis Police Lt. Marie Przynski has been convicted of theft and forgery three years after she was put on leave for stealing money from a police organization.

According to a Tuesday announcement by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Przynski, 60, of Maplewood, was convicted Friday of one count of theft by swindle and four counts of forgery.

"We treat allegations against law enforcement officers seriously," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said, in the release. "While the amount of money involved in this matter is not huge, it's important that the public, and other law enforcement officers, know that no one is above the law."

Przynski was co-chairwoman of the organizing committee for the 2010 International Association of Women Police Conference. To raise money and make purchases for the conference, the committee opened a checking account at a Minneapolis credit union. Przynski controlled the check book.

While Przynski was on vacation in December of 2009, an officer noticed near the checkbook in Przynski's office was a withdrawal slip for $1,500 from the day before she left.

When Przynski returned from vacation, she was asked by a supervisor if she had made any withdrawals prior to her vacation. She denied that she had taken any money from the account.

The investigation uncovered that after withdrawing the $1,500, Przynski deposited $600 into her personal account the day she left on vacation. After talking to her supervisor, Przynski withdrew $1,500 from her account and deposited into the association's account.

Przynski was originally charged in 2010, but a judge dismissed the case agreeing with her lawyer that her conversations with her supervisor violated her rights under employment law. The county attorney's office successfully appealed that decision.

She will be sentenced Feb. 5.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495; Twitter: @stribnorfleet