Former farmers market director withdraws guilty plea; theft case heads to trial
The former executive director of the Freight House Farmers Market – who was set to be sentenced for theft Wednesday – withdrew her guilty plea after a former board member read a victim-impact statement in court.
Court records show that, in a plea agreement made earlier, Lorraine Beaman, 61, of Long Grove, agreed to pay $10,455.60 to the Freight House Farmers Market.
In January, a judge accepted the plea agreement from Beaman, who is accused of embezzling from the Freight House Farmers Market, Davenport, according to court records.
Our Quad Cities News was in the courtroom Wednesday, when Beaman appeared with her attorney, Andrea Jaeger, who asked for a deferred judgment, which involves a defendant pleading guilty before being placed on probation.
She said Beaman already has paid restitution. “The Freight House has been fully made whole,” Jaeger said, adding that Beaman has no criminal history and has accepted responsibility for the offense.
Then Christine Van Vooren, former farmers market board member, took the stand with a victim-impact statement.
“The emotional toll of this betrayal cannot be overstated,” she said. Beaman’s actions “have left an indelible mark” on the farmers market, she said, accusing Beaman of the theft of vendors’ money “to pay for her husband’s attorney to start their own nonprofit.”
Judge Thomas Reidel said the theft was “not just an isolated, one-time theft.” and that it was an ongoing crime.
Beaman withdrew her guilty plea. Now the case will continue to trial, with pretrial hearings – when the lawyers and the judge discuss a timeline and what should be done to move the case to trial – set for April 19 in Scott County Court.
Embezzling accusations
Over a period of two years – from about May 2, 2021 to Nov. 1, 2022 – Beaman embezzled about $10,455 of the Freight House Farmers Market funds, police allege in arrest affidavits.
Police allege she “used the funds to remodel her personal business (Chill Ice Cream & Eats), purchase items for her personal business, purchase personal items, purchase a trailer from her son for an inflated price, purchase (an) Apple TV, purchase resume builders, (and) pay for attorney fees for her nonprofit.”
Court records show Beaman previously faced a felony charge of first-degree theft. She later withdrew her earlier plea of not guilty and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree theft, a Class D felony charge.
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