By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The last time Mindy D. Nogues was convicted of first-degree theft for stealing from her employer, she was given a sentence of 30 days.
This time, a judge gave the former manager at Jeremy’s Farm to Table six months.
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Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler said his inclination was to make her sit in jail, but he acquiesced to her attorney’s request she be allowed to serve her time on work release.
The judge said he didn’t want to deprive the victim of the chance for her to pay him back.
Nogues, 32, appeared in Lewis County Superior Court today to be sentenced, after pleading guilty last month to first-degree theft.
She worked at the Chehalis restaurant on West Main Street from May until October of last year, and was arrested in January following an investigation by the Chehalis Police Department.
She was also ordered today to repay former owner Jeremy Wildhaber $9,232.29.
Charging documents alleged she pocketed hundreds of dollars per shift, using various schemes to attempt to cover it up.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office initially worked out a plea agreement with Nogues in which they would recommend she serve only four months in jail if she paid $2,500 of the restitution by the end of July, according to Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm.
Her lawyer, Jakob McGhie, told the judge this morning she didn’t willfully fail to meet that obligation, but she did fail.
His client hadn’t been working regularly until July, he said, when she took a job at National Frozen Foods.
“She was in a long term relationship, and in the past couple of weeks the relationship ended,” McGhie said. “Her partner completely drained their shared account and took off.”
Judge Lawler imposed the top of the standard sentencing range, which the two attorneys agreed upon in their recomendations.
“The fact that you’ve stolen from an employer, you’ve done this twice, now that’s shocking to me,” Lawler said. “I don’t know what’s going on with that business, I’m not sure if it’s going to make it; but I’m sure that didn’t help.”
The judge ordered Nogues to report to the Lewis County Jail by next Tuesday.
It was June 2013 when Nogues pleaded guilty to first-degree theft, in a case involving the Travel Lodge in Centralia where she had worked as a manager. She served her time on house arrest, also known as electronic home monitoring, according to court documents.
The judge in that case ordered her to pay restitution to the business in the amount of $52,187.05.
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For background, read “Manager at Jeremy’s restaurant charged with stealing thousands of dollars” from Tuesday March 15, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Great analogy JZ ha ha
OMG. Let’s get some fresh news Gossip posted. What Ever happened to the Story of the mutilated cat that was thrown in a dumpster and the CPD dropped the ball? Let me guess it’s like the car theft problem. Well can’t. Wait for the next news article, I’m checking you’re site hourly. Until then i’ll be sipping Floride Tea in the shade….
If a man did this, he would get prison time, no leniency. She’ll just move somewhere else and scam some other poor sucker.
“We should have Fantasy Island for career criminals..”
We do, Slim. It’s called Washington, D.C.
Not excusing her, she’s a thief and should be treated as such.
Jeremy’s never heard of a background check? For someone who’s a manager? Seriously? He no doubt wonders why his business(es) failed.
And now he wants to grow pot for a living….But hey, at least he nor the former manager hit Chamber Way!
She screwed up her second chance big time, some people are hopeless. We should have Fantasy Island for career criminals, the Island would be a nightmare at best
What I wonder is who is dumb enough to hire a known thief ? She keeps getting away with a slap on the wrist. Maybe a bit of hard time might teach this con artist a lesson .