PRIMGHAR, IA — A Paullina woman has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to repay $21,000 after stealing funds from a local nonprofit organization she once helped manage.
Melinda Sue Wester, 36, was sentenced on June 30, 2025, after pleading guilty to first-degree theft related to her role as treasurer for the Primghar Jaycees during 2023. Prosecutors originally charged her with first-degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct – illegal enterprise, both Class B felonies, after she allegedly misused more than $10,000 in cash and debit card purchases for personal expenses.
Wester was accused of altering or destroying receipts, returning merchandise for store credit, and using donated gift cards intended for high school students for her own benefit. The investigation also found she used Jaycees funds to purchase ingredients for her home bakery.
As part of a plea agreement, Wester admitted to the theft charge while the ongoing criminal conduct charge was dismissed. She faced up to 10 years in prison, but the sentence was suspended in favor of probation following consultation with the O’Brien County Attorney’s Office and Primghar Jaycees representatives.
Judge Charles Borth said he weighed Wester’s lack of prior criminal history and the Jaycees’ support for the plea deal heavily in his decision.
Under the agreement, Wester was ordered to:
Repay $21,000 in restitution ($15,000 paid at sentencing; $6,000 to be paid during probation),
Write a public apology to the Jaycees,
Pay court costs totaling $140, and
Undergo a mental health evaluation and follow through with recommended treatment.
During the sentencing hearing, Maycee Klatt, speaking on behalf of the Jaycees, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, detailing the emotional and financial harm caused by Wester’s actions. She described how stolen funds disrupted charitable efforts, strained vendor relationships, and led to member resignations.
The Jaycees uncovered that Wester allegedly tampered with receipts—some found to be soaked in sanitizer or digitally altered—and claimed that families in need during Christmas did not receive promised support due to the financial shortfall.
“We lost trust in our community, in each other, and in our mission,” Klatt said. “This wasn’t just about money—it was betrayal.”
Judge Borth concluded: “Without the victims’ agreement to probation, prison would have been strongly considered.”
