Brandt Pleads No Contest To Theft, To Be Sentenced in June

The former clerk of the Village of Oakdale will be sentenced in June after pleading no contest to theft on Wednesday.

Megan Brandt, 31, pleaded no contest to felony theft in Antelope County District Court on Wednesday as part of a plea agreement. Prosecutors dropped a charge of unlawful use of a financial transaction device in return.

Antelope County Prosecutor Joe Abler said in court that an investigation from the state auditor's office turned up over $50,000 in funds that Brandt stole from the Village of Oakdale between December of 2012 and her resignation last October. Abler says Brandt would write checks to herself and make withdrawals using the village's credit card. She has agreed to pay back half of the money as part of the agreement.

Brandt is the third Antelope County elected official to plead guilty to either theft or misuse of funds this year. Her father-n-law, Antelope County Supervisor Harlan Brandt will be sentenced on misdemeanor theft charges next month. The County Treasurer, Sandra Knapp, pleaded guilty to misuse of funds just last week.

Megan Brandt faces up to 20 years in prison when she's sentenced in June.

---