Woman sentenced for bilking N.D. Job Service agency

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A former Job Service North Dakota employee who authorities say tried to bilk the agency out of thousands of dollars has been given a four-year deferred sentence with no jail time.

Prosecutors say Alicia Mae Joritz of Bismarck pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and issuing deception writings, and told authorities she stole the money because she has a gambling problem. She was sentenced Friday.

Cynthia Feland, an assistant Burleigh County state's attorney, said the 36-year-old Joritz processed employer claims at Job Service. Feland said Joritz used her position to create phony letters from businesses, and got a check of nearly $23,000 from the agency last year.

Feland said a bank where the money was deposited tipped off the agency to the scheme. She said Joritz spent more than $7,000 of the deposits and has been ordered to repay it.

Job Service Executive Director Maren Dailey says the ``scheme was caught and the Job Service was out no money.'

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