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Terhaar pleads guilty to embezzlement charge
A former official with the Elmore County Department of Motor Vehicles office pled guilty to one count of embezzling public funds during a preliminary hearing in district court Friday morning.
Mava Terhaar faces up to 14 years in prison and a $10,000 fine during sentencing the morning of June 10.
Originally, Terhaar faced five felony counts of misusing public funds by a public employee. Each count included a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison and additional fines.
During her hearing, the defense told District Judge Richard Greenwood that Terhaar would plead guilty to count four of stealing at least $300 public funds. In addition, she agreed to pay restitution based on all five counts.
"In the beginning, I knew I was guilty," she told the judge. "I took money from the county -- well over $300 -- in 2008."
Elmore County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Terhaar on July 30, 2009, for allegedly embezzling more than $270,000 from the county agency. Terhaar had worked for the DMV, which technically falls under the jurisdiction of the county assessor's office, since October 1987. The sheriff's office has documentation spanning nine years concerning the alleged improprieties.
In sworn testimony at Friday's hearing, Terhaar admitted that she took people's money as they paid for their state license plates or tags. She later voided out the listed payments and pocketed the money. Meanwhile, the state continued issuing plates and tags believing people had paid for them.
The Idaho Department of Transportation alerted local authorities of the possible misuse of funds last June and launched an investigation. The alleged crimes were similar to a case in Canyon County reported in early 2009, said Detective Clint Andrus from the county sheriff's office, who headed up the investigation involving Terhaar. That first case prompted the transportation department to look across the state for other incidents. Elmore County was one of three or four counties flagged by a transportation department forensic audit specialist as requiring further investigation, he said.
Shortly after county detectives began their investigation, Terhaar was placed on administrative leave with pay. As the investigation continued, county officials suspended her without pay. Following a termination hearing held at her request, she was fired July 6, 2009.