OLIVIA, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – A 37-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was sentenced on May 1 in Renville County District Court after pleading guilty to stealing over $100,000 from the county in a misdirected payment scheme.
Talia Moseley, of Chester, was ordered to serve five years of probation and to pay $111,000 in restitution on one felony count of theft by swindle. A 12-month and one-day prison sentence was stayed, contingent on her compliance with probation.
Moseley pleaded guilty on April 15, leading to the dismissal of a felony count of receiving stolen property. She will serve supervised probation in Pennsylvania.
Judge Laurence Stratton granted a stay of imposition, meaning Moseley’s conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor if she completes probation successfully. She will repay $111,055.28 in monthly installments of at least $700. A specific payment agreement will be finalized at a restitution hearing on May 28.
If Moseley violates probation regarding payments, she must serve her stayed sentence. She received credit for 72 days in jail.
Renville County Administrator Lisa Herges stated the theft adversely affected all county residents. Moseley apologized, claiming ignorance about the source of the funds.
Moseley was arrested on February 24 in Las Vegas and extradited to Minnesota. The scheme, occurring in late 2021 and early 2022, involved over $100,000 fraudulently wired to a business registered in Delaware, owned by Moseley.
Herges noted that the scheme exploited a county vendor payment form. The county has since updated its processes to prevent similar issues.