A 38-year-old Hailey woman will be given an opportunity for rehabilitation following sentencing on Sept. 18 for the felony crimes of burglary and fraudulent possession of a financial transaction card.
The sentence for Kimberly Gennell Crowson was determined by Judge Robert J. Elgee in Blaine County 5th District Court. Elgee placed Crowson in the Idaho Department of Correction’s rider program, which provides rehabilitation opportunities in lieu of sending a convicted felon to prison. Under the rider program, Crowson can be kept in custody for up to a year.
Crowson, represented by Hailey attorney Cheri Hicks under her public defender contract with Blaine County, had remained incarcerated prior to sentencing in the Blaine County jail on $75,000 bond.
Crowson pleaded guilty to both crimes in July in a plea agreement with the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In exchange for her guilty pleas, a second felony burglary charge and two misdemeanor petit theft charges were dismissed.
Crowson was charged with fraudulent possession of a financial transaction card for illegally using a friend’s savings and checking bank account cards. According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by Hailey Patrolman Raul Ornelas, Crowson illegally used the cards 31 times to purchase goods and services worth a total of almost $3,000.
The bank-card thefts occurred while Crowson was out of jail on bond on the earlier burglary and petit theft charges. She was arrested on the fraud charge on June 16.
