BOISE, Idaho — A news release from the US Department of Justice reports that Catherine Skidmore, 56, from Meridian, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for embezzling almost $2 million in a money laundering scheme from the Black Canyon Irrigation District.
In the sentence, US District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Skidmore to pay back the $1,792,207.59 and be under supervised release for three years after completing her prison sentence.
While employed as the Secretary-Treasurer for BCID from January 2014 to July 2022, Skidmore had access to bank accounts, ledgers, signature authority, etc. It is believed that Skidmore deliberately created a false business account allowing her to mask a labyrinth of transfers, ledger entries, and financial accounts siphoning money from the BCID since May 2019.
Records proved that Skidmore withdrew funds, mostly in the form of cashier's checks, for personal use. The amounts of the withdrawals varied between $10,000 - $150,000. The money has been traced for use in paying credit card bills, property taxes, home improvements, mortgages, property purchases, vehicles, and more.
