DETROIT LAKES — A Detroit Lakes woman has been sentenced for felony theft after admitting to taking thousands of dollars in missing cash deposits from her former employer.
Heidi Melissa Long, 47, was working as an administrative assistant at Farmers Insurance when the corporate office flagged three missing deposits totaling $8,680 between October and December 2023. The business owner contacted police in March 2024 after discovering the discrepancies.
Court records show Long admitted to taking the money, telling investigators she used it to pay rent and bills, and referred to it as a “loan” she intended to repay. She returned part of the funds in October but was later fired from her position.
On August 22, Becker County District Judge Gretchen D. Thilmony sentenced Long to 30 days in jail with work release privileges, five years of supervised probation, and $200 in fines and fees. She was also ordered to complete cognitive skills training, a diagnostic assessment, and any recommended aftercare.
Long made a restitution payment of $6,705.50 earlier this year. Her sentence was a stay of imposition, meaning the felony conviction could be reduced to a misdemeanor if she successfully completes probation.
The State Public Defender’s Office in St. Paul has since taken up Long’s case and is reviewing it for a possible appeal.