DANBURY, Iowa (Iowa Media Wire) — A woman who previously served as city clerk of Danbury could be required to pay the city $151,000 in restitution after admitting to stealing city funds.
Stacy Rockdaschel, 31, will plead guilty to first-degree theft as part of a plea agreement filed in Woodbury District Court on Monday. She had also been charged with commission of a specified unlawful activity, a class B felony, but the state will dismiss that count as part of the agreement.
She faces up to 10 years in prison and five years of probation with a $1,370 fine. If the court accepts her plea, Rockdaschel will also have to pay the city $900 each month until the restitution is paid off.
In the plea agreement, Rockdaschel admitted that while she was Danbury’s city clerk, she used city funds to make personal purchases between May 1, 2020 and May 11, 2022. A report from Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand found that she had spent $177,468.44 on hundreds of personal purchases, such as clothing and accessories, along with improper charges through online services like PayPal and Amazon.
Rockdaschel resigned her position as city clerk on May 15, 2022. She was arrested on October 3, 2023.
She had also been charged with commission of a specified unlawful activity. However, that charge would be dismissed under the plea deal.
Rockdaschel had previously pleaded not guilty.
The plea taking and sentencing for Rockdaschel is scheduled to take place Wednesday morning.