An Andover woman has been sentenced to probation after being accused of going on a nearly $1 million spending spree with her employer's credit card over a 10-year stretch, paying for far-flung travel, tanning and salon services and other indulgences.
Probation for Andover woman accused of going on nearly $1M spending spree with company credit card
She pleaded guilty to one of the 15 felony counts filed against her.
December 22, 2022 at 8:47PM
Kathryn L. Gilgenbach, 50, was sentenced Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court in connection with her guilty plea to one felony count of tax evasion in connection with the scheme that stretched from 2009 until 2019, even after she was fired from her accounting position with a wheelchair accessibility van dealer in Roseville.
In exchange for her plea, 14 other counts of theft by swindle and tax evasion were dismissed. She also was allowed to make her admission under what is known as an Alford plea, meaning she maintained her innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her of the single count.
Terms of her sentence from Judge John Guthmann include five years' probation, one day's credit for when she was jailed and paying restitution in an amount to be submitted by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. In the meantime, Gilgenbach's restitution bill initially stands at more than $64,000.
Defense attorney Cody Wright said Thursday that he and his client "are satisfied" with the sentencing terms. Wright explained that his client's age and having no previous criminal record were among the factors that worked in her favor.
According to the complaint:
Gilgenbach's boss at IMED Mobility directed her in 2009 or 2010 to close out a credit card issued by warehouse-style retailer Costco and go with an American Express card. When IMED merged with another company in 2019, new accounting personnel saw that the Costco account was never closed.
Statements spanning throughout the decade showed she made unauthorized purchases totaling $930,230.93. They included airline tickets and hotel lodging in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and flights for her and family members to Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas. She also used the card to pay for an Airbnb rental in California, tanning and salon visits, dining, furniture, video games, groceries and pet hospital services.
Gilgenbach was fired on May 2, 2019, but the charges continued into July of that year.
The Roseville dealer is now owned by Ohio-based MobilityWorks.
The pilot was the only person inside the plane, and was not injured in the emergency landing, according to the State Patrol.
