FORSYTH — A former daycare director in Rosebud County has agreed to plead guilty to embezzlement, admitting to stealing nearly half a million dollars over a three-year period.
Joelee Hoover, the former director of Lil Buds Daycare Center, was charged in March in federal court on one count of wire fraud. The felony offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000,000 fine.
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According to court documents, Hoover embezzled $491,120 from Oct. 28, 2021, to June 9, 2023, while running the Lil Buds Daycare, a childcare program offered through the Rosebud Healthcare Center.
Mindy Price, chair of the Lil Buds Daycare board, expressed the emotional impact of the discovery in a victim impact statement, calling it "devastating." Price wrote, "This crime was not victimless. Our staff, our board, our community, and the families who rely on us were all harmed."
Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton said there were discrepancies in the childcare center's bookkeeping.
"They were charging out through a third-party biller and the numbers weren't adding up," Fulton said on Wednesday. "Trying to track the dollars with what is fake accounts, what's real accounts, and tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars were taken. And a lot of it was just with the fake accounts, that number kept getting higher."
According to court documents, Hoover would submit reimbursement requests to a third-party payment vendor, ProCare Solutions, LLC, using fake account numbers. Hoover would also over-pay herself.
"Any time money is involved, sometimes people want to help themselves to it," Fulton said.
Sentencing for Hoover is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 30 in federal court in Billings.
MTN News reached out to Hoover on multiple numbers associated with her name. No one responded to requests for comment.
This incident is not the first case of embezzlement within the Forsyth community. In recent years, Rosebud County has faced two other embezzlement cases, including a 2023 incident where an insurance agent pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft, as well as the county’s deputy treasurer who has been charged with embezzling around $300,000.
