Roland woman accused of stealing thousands from her employer

A Roland woman is accused of stealing more than $40,000 from her employer over the past five years.

According to the Story County Sheriff’s Office, Julie Ann Oelschlager, 54, worked as an office manager at JA Max Machine Co. in Roland and used company gas and credit cards to purchase items for personal use “dozens of times” between 2009 and 2014.

JA Max Machine Co. specializes in creating machined parts for the hydraulic, agricultural, transportation and construction industries.

“Oelschlager did not have permission to do so and accumulated approximately $31,642 in charges,” according to a criminal complaint filed in Story County District Court.

Oelschlager allegedly paid the bills using company checks and altering invoice records.

According to the criminal complaint, she also wrote multiple checks to herself on company checks during 2014 totaling approximately $7,700, and allegedly stole about $2,800 from the company’s petty cash fund.

Officials said Oelschlager’s bank records support these claims, and that she admitted to using the company gas and credit cards and writing company checks to herself, but not to stealing from the petty cash fund.

She is charged with first-degree theft, a class C felony, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000.

An arrest warrant was issued for Oelschlager Oct. 10 and was served Dec. 20, online court records show.

She was released from the Story County Jail on a $35,000 bond Monday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 29.