AUSTIN, Minn. – A woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from vulnerable adults is pleading guilty.
Bridget Ann Fodness, 40 of Austin, has reached a plea deal with prosecutors where she will plead guilty to one count of financial exploitation while two other counts of the same crime and a charge of theft will be dismissed.
Authorities say Fodness stole $17,351 from nine separate people while working as a guardian or conservator for Independent Management Services. The company said part of her job was to go shopping and buy things for IMS clients.
A sentencing date has now been set on August 23.
When she was arrested in October 2017, Fodness reportedly told Austin police she was struggling with bi-polar disorder and was self-medicating with alcohol during the time of the thefts.
