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December 17, 2007

Hearing reset for Delaware County Commissioner's wife

GROVE— The preliminary hearing for the wife of a Delaware County commissioner charged with stealing from her employer has been reset for Jan. 2, the McDonald County Missouri Prosecutor’s office said Wednesday.

Michelle Crowder, 40, of Grove, was charged in McDonald County Associate Circuit Court in Pineville, Mo., with one count of stealing, a Class B felony.

She is accused of stealing $62,632.99 from Roper Gas Co. in Southwest City, Mo.

Her preliminary hearing was to be held Wednesday, but rescheduled because the victims were not able to attend, said a staff member of the prosecuting attorney’s office.

 Court records show the thefts allegedly took place over a period of two years.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, Crowder’s husband, Kenneth, who is the District 1 Commissioner for Delaware County, offered to pay $35,000 to company officials if they “would keep it quiet like they did the last theft.”

In 2005, Michelle Crowder reportedly confessed to stealing between $30,000 and $40,000 from the company. The money was paid back, and company officials declined to press charges, the probable-cause statement said.

In an unrelated matter, Gene Haynes, prosecutor for Craig, Mayes and Rogers counties in Oklahoma, appointed to investigate a fatal traffic accident involving Kenneth Crowder said he has not completed his review of the investigative reports to determine whether charges should be filed.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Crowder pulled from a side road into James Black’s path.

 

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