PIERRE, S.D. – A former employee of South Dakota’s Department of Social Services has been indicted for allegedly stealing $1.8 million in state and federal funds from Child Protection Services, according to Attorney General Marty Jackley.
Lonna Carroll, 68, of Algona, Iowa, faces two felony counts of Aggravated Grand Theft.
Carroll was arrested Wednesday in Iowa and is awaiting extradition to South Dakota. Her bond has been set at $50,000.
Carroll is accused of embezzling the funds between 2010 and 2023 while working in a role that gave her control over the program’s finances.
The thefts were uncovered by the Department of Social Services, which then involved the state Division of Criminal Investigation and Legislative Audit in the investigation.
An initial court appearance for Carroll has not yet been scheduled in Hughes County Circuit Court in Pierre. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine for the first count, and 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine for the second count. Carroll is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
