LIMA — A Delphos accountant who stole nearly $20,000 from the Spencerville Veterans of Foreign Wars post found time to joke about her age during a hearing Monday, which she pleaded guilty Monday to one count of grand theft.
Jennifer Edelbrock, 49, entered the guilty plea in exchange for the prosecution dismissing another count of grand theft. She is scheduled to be sentenced May 2 in Allen County Common Pleas Court. She faces up to 18 months in prison.
When Judge Jeffrey Reed asked Edelbrock her age, she responded, “Can I say 27?”
The judge didn’t respond. She then answered with her correct age.
Edelbrock didn’t have much to say during the change of plea hearing other than to answer Reed’s questions on whether she wanted to enter the guilty plea and whether she understood the constitutional rights she would waive. She was soft-spoken and polite, and only made the one joke that didn’t gather any laughter.
As part of the plea deal, any sentence Edelbrock receives will be served at the same time of any future sentence she may receive that comes out of an ongoing investigation against her. A prosecutor said last week there was a lengthy investigation that remains underway against Edelbrock and additional charges are more than likely.
Edelbrock also agreed to pay $19,990 in restitution to the VFW.
Edelbrock was sentenced to 40 days in jail last year in Putnam County for stealing $17,250 from the Kalida Band Boosters. She told the judge in that case she was hoping to make enough money preparing taxes to pay back the money before anyone saw it was missing but was caught before she could do so.
Edelbrock also is being sued by an insurance agent who accused her of stealing more than $300,000 of investment funds from employees of his agency including himself. She has not been charged in that case.
Authorities raided the Edelbrock-Reitz accounting firm at 945 E. Fifth St., in Delphos, on May 19, as part of an investigation into possible financial crimes. Complaints to police officials about the firm led to the investigation and raid, police officials said.
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