BOONE, Iowa—A Boone County jury this week, found 49-year old Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky of Boone guilty of Credit Card Fraud, an Aggravated Misdemeanor which carries a sentence ranging from Probation to up to Two Years in Prison.
The Boone County Attorney’s office released additional trial information.
The jury trial was heard in the Boone County District Associates Court on August 14, 2018. According to testimony at trial, Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky contacted Dallas Forkner while he was in jail at the Boone County Jail. Dallas Forkner brokered a deal in which Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky would purchase Rickey Snider’s EBT card for a discounted price. Ricky Snider was also incarcerated at the Boone County Jail. Rickey Snider had about $180 remaining on his EBT card and Kathy Pinkerton Sawatzky purchased the card for $90. She put the money on Ricky Snider’s books and he allowed her to take his EBT card from his property at the jail. Kathy Pinkerton Sawatzky used Ricky Snider’s card at Wal-Mart on December 31, 2017, to purchase a large quantity of food, pop, and candy. A representative from the Department of Human Services testified about the EBT program. They testified that EBT stands for Electronic Benefit System (EBT) which is the system that provides nutritional assistance to families in need. It is a program run by the Iowa Department of Human Services but funded by federal tax money. The program is meant to provide an EBT card to help lower income families purchase groceries to feed their families. Because the program is government assistance the cards cannot be transferred or sold to other people. To do so would be fraudulent. The representative testified that Pinkerton Sawatzky was enrolled in the program so she should be aware of the restrictions.
The defense called the defendant, Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky, to the stand. She testified being familiar with the program and tried to justify why she purchased pop and candy using someone else’s EBT card. The prosecution evidence against her included text messages from Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky and Dallas Forkner brokering the purchase of the card including exchanging pin numbers. The property sign-out sheet of Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky taking out of Ricky Snider’s property his EBT card. The prosecution also provided to the jury the video of the defendant, Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky, purchasing the items at Wal-Mart using Ricky Snider’s card and his pin to complete the transaction.
The jury trial lasted one day. At the end of the trial the jury came back finding Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky guilty of Credit Card Fraud.
Sentencing on the case will be held at a later date. The charge carries a sentence from probation to up to two years in prison.
The Boone Police Department investigated the case and was assisted by both the Department of Human Services and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Matt Speers First Assistant with the Boone County Attorney’s Office represented the State. Kathleen Pinkerton Sawatzky was represented by a local attorney.
(contributed article and photo, Boone County Attorney’s office)
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