Rogers City, Michigan woman stands mute on embezzlement charge

The woman accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from a Rogers City church was back in court Monday.Kristie Kelley, 55, is charged with one count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, while being an agent, servant or employee of St. Ignatius Catholic Church. Kelley was a long time employee of the church and solely responsible for collecting church donations and for depositing that money.On Monday she stood mute to the charge and a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf. In addition, the court reduced Kelley’s bond to $20,000 and released her home which had previously been pledged toward a higher bond. By releasing the property, Kelley is being allowed to mortgage the property and any proceeds of a sale will be applied toward restitution.A restitution hearing will be held at a later date to determine how much she must pay back.Presque Isle County Prosecutor Rick Steiger said Kelley is expected to plead guilty at her next hearing, scheduled for December 13. Details of the plea agreement have not yet been released.