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Grand program director charged with forgery

This story was updated Dec. 14, , 2016 with the following information:

Steinbach pleaded guilty in September to one count of gross misdemeanor check forgery.

See article: http://www.nujournal.com/news/local-news/2016/09/27/steinbach-takes-…n-the-grand-case/. 

NEW ULM – Joseph Lloyd Steinbach, program director for The Grand Center of Arts and Culture, has been charged with multiple counts of check forgery and one count of theft by swindle.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Brown County District Court, in March New Ulm police began investigating a report that an employee at The Grand had admitted forging signatures and issuing himself extra paychecks. Steinbach, age 24, was responsible for performing payroll duties at the Grand.

A complaining party indicated Steinbach had forged her signature on four payroll checks. All four checks were dated Feb. 12, 2016. The combined total of the forged checks was $1,378.76. Each check was drawn on the account of the Grand at Frandsen Bank & Trust, the complaint states.

The investigating officer also learned Steinbach had issued himself an extra paycheck beyond what he had earned on Nov. 27, 2015.

According to the investigation report, when questioned Steinbach admitted to forging the payroll checks to allow employees to get checks early.

Steinbach also reportedly stated he had been working a lot but was exempt from overtime and believed he had earned the extra paycheck he issued to himself in November 2015.

That extra check had been caught by accountants and was corrected in the book. It was arranged to look like an advance on the next paycheck, and Steinbach skipped the next paycheck.

For the forged checks Steinbach has been charged with three felonies and two gross misdemeanors. He is also charged with a gross misdemeanor for theft by swindle. He is scheduled to appear in Brown County Court on April 26.

The Grand’s webpage no longer lists Steinbach as program director. Steinbach was hired by the Grand in March 2015.

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