Pennington County, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) – A former employee of Cenex Travel Plaza in Thief River Falls was sentenced after being caught on surveillance footage stealing thousands of dollars from the store’s safe over a period of several weeks.
Sarah Regina Smeby, 43, was convicted on a felony theft charge after admitting to stealing money at least 11 times between July 4 and July 26. A manager at Cenex Travel Plaza & A&W reported the crime to authorities after discovering that $3,603 was missing from the store’s safe.
Surveillance Footage Exposes Theft Scheme
📹 Security footage captured Smeby repeatedly opening the safe, taking money, and concealing it on her person.
When confronted, Smeby admitted to stealing money multiple times, but claimed the total was only around $2,000 to $2,500. However, when police showed her the video evidence, she revised her estimate, confessing to stealing between $3,400 and $3,500 over a period of one to two months.
Sentencing & Court Orders
⚖️ Felony Theft Charge – Sentenced to:
🔹 Five-year stay of imposition
🔹 Supervised probation for five years
🔹 One day in jail (credited)
🔹 Mandatory mental health evaluation
🔹 Banned from holding financial responsibilities at any job without probation officer approval
🔹 Ordered to attend Decision Points Cognitive Group through TRF probation office
🔹 Required to submit a DNA sample
🔹 Prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or explosives
🔹 Ordered to pay $210 in fees and fines
🔹 Must pay $3,603 in restitution
No Mugshot Available Yet
📌 As of Tuesday, the Law Enforcement Center had not released a mugshot of Smeby.
This case serves as a cautionary tale for businesses and a warning to those who think they can get away with stealing from their employers.
🔗 Stay updated on this developing story at TRF News.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News