Trent woman sentenced on Grand Theft by Embezzlement charge

A Trent woman was sentenced this week in Lake County Circuit Court on a Grand Theft by Embezzlement charge.  40-year-old Michelle Ellingson was indicted on the felony charge of Grand Theft by Embezzlement of Property Received in Trust in 2017 and pleaded not guilty, later changing her plea to guilty in October of this year.  Ellingson also admitted to Habitual Offender information filed by the State’s Attorney’s Office. 

Circuit Court Judge Patrick Pardy this week sentenced Ellingson to serve eight years in the state penitentiary.  The judge suspended all but 120 days of the penitentiary sentence that she will serve in the South Dakota Women’s Prison, and placed her on supervised probation with Court Services for ten years.  Judge Pardy issued a number of conditions for the suspended penitentiary time for Ellingson, some of which include that she pay a fine of 500-dollars, plus court costs, reimburse Lake County for the cost of her court appointed attorney’s fees, and that she make restitution of more than 69-thousand dollars.  Ellingson must also not have contact with any of the victims in the case, among several other conditions.