Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
During the summer of 2020, four members of the Oberon School Board were suspended by Gov. Doug Burgum and charged with a multitude of felonies and misdemeanors. Now more than a year later, sentencing decisions are finally rolling in.
The charges were filed after the school board hired a sales firm by the name of Victim, Survivor, the Voice, LLC (VSV). Court records show that the firm wasn’t in good standing with the N.D. Secretary of State’s Office, lacked the necessary credentials to conduct an audit, and was owned by Laura Ann Schnieber, a “close personal friend” of school board member Corey Ploium, giving rise to a conflict of interest which he did not disclose.
Ploium was charged with providing false information to law enforcement, and for failing to disclose the conflict of interest, both Class A misdemeanors, as well as misapplication of entrusted property over $50,000, a Class A felony.
Ploium underwent a court trial on June 16, 17 and 24 of this year, and was found guilty of failing to disclose the conflict of interest. He was found not guilty of misapplication of entrusted property and giving false information to law enforcement. As a result, Ploium won’t suffer jail time, but still faces a 12-month probation and a $1,325 fine.
Meanwhile, more severe consequences have been dealt to Schnieber, Ploium’s “close personal friend” of 15 years. Schnieber was charged with three counts of theft of property, two of them Class A felonies, and one Class C felony.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Schnieber, “The defendant held the business out as having accounting expertise, when in fact she nor her business has any accounting background. This deceptive scheme caused the Oberon school board to expend amounts in excess of $150,000.00.”
The complaint also alleges that Schieber illegally downloaded and removed “financial files, personnel files and other sensitive materials,” from the school premises, and used false authority to add her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend to the list of Oberon School employees.
After originally pleading not guilty, Schnieber recently changed her plea to guilty on an Alford basis, meaning that she maintains her innocence, but recognizes the state’s likelihood of being successful at trial.
At the change of plea hearing on Oct. 5, both parties agreed upon a number of terms for Schnieber’s sentencing. According to the Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, Schnieber will be required to spend an unspecified amount of time under house arrest, pay restitution, and receive a “deferred imposition of sentence for three years under normal probation conditions.”
Schnieber’s formal sentencing hearing was held on Wednesday, Nov. 3, but documents were not filed by press time.
Meanwhile, school board members Jacob Hegland and Karen Peterson, who were each charged with misapplication of entrusted property, had their cases dismissed almost immediately, once it became clear that they had no knowledge of Schnieber’s lack of credentials or the conflict of interest between her and Ploium.
School board member Carolyn Nelson, who was also charged with misapplication of entrusted property, had her charge dismissed upon the request of the state. A new charge was filed against Nelson on Oct. 5, accomplice to theft of property, a Class A felony. The state argues that the accomplice charge “more accurately comports and conforms to the evidence.”
According to the official complaint, “The defendant, a school board member, did allow Laura [Ann Schnieber] ... to enter into an arrangement with the Oberon school board and caused, allowed, and encouraged the Oberon School District to expend monies in excess of $150,000.00.”
A trial date for Nelson has not been set, and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
