Former Gordon officials charged with felony theft

Maria Lockwood, Superior Telegram, Wis.
·2 min read

Jul. 24—SUPERIOR — The former treasurer and clerk for the town of Gordon made their initial appearances in Douglas County Circuit Court this month.

Former secretary Stephanie Ann James, 62, faces felony counts of theft in a business setting, three counts of misconduct in office and two counts of presenting fraudulent claims. She made her initial appearance July 10.

Former town treasurer Ree Ann Marie Mohs, 48, faces felony counts of theft in a business setting and misconduct in office. She made her initial appearance July 11.

A $5,000 signature bond was ordered for each of the women. They both waived the time limits for their preliminary hearing. Mohs' next court appearance was set for Aug. 14; James' was set for Sept. 4.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the town of Gordon's finances after learning of statements made by Mohs to two witnesses when they were counting money received during the 2022 Gordon Good Neighbor Days event, according to the criminal complaints.

The sheriff's office executed a search warrant at the Gordon Town Hall on Feb. 24, 2023, seizing 12 boxes of financial documents dating from 2018-2022, a computer tower, two external hard drives, folders and receipt books.

Mohs served as town treasurer for about 15 years until losing the April 2023 election. She is accused of taking money from the town vault home to count, as well as pocketing cash from the town's money and later putting it back with personal checks, the criminal complaint said.

James, who served as clerk for the town of Gordon from 2019 through 2023, reportedly provided inaccurate information to the Wisconsin Retirement System for years. The investigation also revealed that income recorded on James' spreadsheets from the Gordon-Wascott Transfer Station did not match transfer station receipts, according to the complaint. There were also reported discrepancies with money collected during a 2020 fundraiser for a former town employee and the amount paid to the family.

The theft count against Mohs, a Class G felony, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. The misconduct count, a Class I felony, carries a maximum sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The theft count against James, a Class H felony, carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The other counts are Class I felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.