Albertville Woman Arrested, Accused of Theft By Swindle

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a former bank teller who is accused of stealing money from automated teller machines (ATM) at the Hassan bank where she worked.

The sheriff's office issued a news release Wednesday stating the thefts occurred at the First National Bank of Elk River in Hassan. 

As a result of the Sheriff’s Office investigation, 51-year-old Kelly Jo Bistodeau of Albertville has been formally charged by the Hennepin County Attorney with felony Theft by Swindle.

“Financial crimes are very complex investigations with receipts, ledgers, statements, and other financial records that detectives need to examine,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek.

According to the criminal complaint, a total of $259,000 was stolen from the ATMs between 1998-2003, and the thefts occurred on multiple occasions while Bistodeau was refilling ATM machines at the bank. After she took money from the ATMs, she used different methods to hide the theft in the bank’s records such as making false accounting entries into the general ledger.

 The sheriff’s office continues to investigate this case.

Felony theft carries a prison term of at least one year in prison, plus various fines.