Former DSS employee indicted for $1.78 million theft

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a Thursday news conference that a former state employee has been indicted on two charges of theft in a scheme involving state money.

Lonna Carroll, 68, of Algona, Iowa, is accused of stealing $1.78 million from the South Dakota Department of Social Services, specifically the Child Protective Services branch. Carroll would request a payment for a child from the state and was able to intercept that approved check and eventually, deposit it in a personal account according to AG.

Carroll is charged with two felony counts of aggravated grand theft.

Jackley said the alleged crimes happened from 2010 through 2023. Carroll was able to intercept the money despite the DSS having an approval process for monetary requests that includes a supervisor, Jackley said.

Carroll was in a role where she made the request but was the supervisor who approved her own request, Jackley said. DSS would then review the request and approve it, Jackely said.

"There was no supervisor because she was serving as supervisor," Jackley said.

Jackley said he couldn't comment specifically on the DSS approval structure and how Carroll was able to both make a request and self-approve that request. Carroll's title was project assistant, Jackley said. His job is to investigate where the problem was discovered.

Carroll was arrested in Kossuth County, Iowa, where sh...