NEW ULM — Brown County Court Judge Robert A. Docherty denied a motion Feb. 9 to dismiss a case for lack of probable cause involving a 45-year-old Springfield woman.

Judge Docherty ruled there is sufficient probable cause for theft and financial transaction card fraud charges, according to the Feb. 9 ruling.

Jacquelynn Rae Streich was charged with three felony counts of theft and three felony counts of financial transaction card fraud based on an alleged series of events from June 2022 to June 2023 that created an alleged loss of more than $100,000.

The State alleged Streich took unauthorized expenses, made payments on her credit card from the business’s bank account and owner’s bank account; made personal Amazon purchases on the business’s credit card; and paid herself overtime that she was not entitled; did not return books when told to do so; and paid herself twice what she was hired to do.

According to the complaint, Streich worked as an administrative assistant for a company called Be a Great Teacher from June 2022 to September 2023 when she was terminated.

The business owner told Streich and other company administrative staff to run the business as if it were their own. The administrative assistant was required to go to the owner for any type of move, especially financial moves.

Streich was told to record her hours worked on a timecard. The owner was to be told of anything unusual regarding her time. When the owner questioned Streich about her time, she became aggressive and agitated.

In the final months of Streich’s employment, the business owner noticed he was no longer making money, and planned to shut the business down. The owner contacted a former employee and asked her to help him close the business.

The former employee looked into the business’s finances and noticed payments made to a Discover credit card the business did not have; confirmed it with the owner and noticed many suspicious charges to Amazon without receipts or orders on the business’s Amazon account. No packages were ever delivered to the business and there were no payroll records or expense reports.

On Sept, 5, 2023, the former employee and owner met with Streich and asked her about the discrepancies. When asked where her time cards where, Streich said she didn’t keep any.

When asked about expenses she claimed, Streich said they were for mileage and unspecified expenses.

Cain argued the evidence did not show a lack of consent on the part of the business’s owner, that he told her to run the business as if it were her own. But evidence showed the owner told her to go to the owner for any moves, especially financial moves.

In addition, Cain argued the evidence does not show an intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property because she transferred the money to credit card companies, not for her personal enrichment.

Where the money is irrelevant, a theft is complete when the alleged thief takes the funds out of the control of the rightful owner with intent that the rightful owner not recover the funds. It makes no difference whether Streich sent the money to credit card companies, kept it for herself or gave it to charity.

Cain argued that there is insufficient probable cause for financial transaction fraud charges because she had the business owner’s consent to access business accounts and banking information as part of her job.

There is at least a jury question whether Streich’s access to the business’s bank accounts and finances included authority to use the business’s assets to pay her personal debts or use the company credit card for personal purchases.

Cain argued Streich never used a card, she only made transfers from accounts she had authorized access to. The definition of financial transaction card fraud is broad and includes the account or identification number or symbol of a financial transaction card.

Use of the business’s account falls within this broad definition. There is sufficient probable cause for financial-transaction card fraud. There is probable cause for all counts.

Judge Docherty took the case under advisement Jan. 6, 2026.