Bigfork woman pleads not guilty to theft

A 29-year-old Bigfork woman has denied in court that she stole thousands of dollars from a customer while working for a tax preparation company.

Leilani Louise Albertson, 29, pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony theft Thursday in Flathead District Court. She is accused of transferring $4,777 that belonged to a customer into her own bank account.

Albterson worked as a seasonal tax preparer for Liberty Tax in Kalispell. In March, a man contacted police after he noticed that his money had been transferred to another bank account. 

According to court documents, bank information showed the money going to Albertson’s account. The man recognized that she had prepared his taxes weeks before.

In an interview with police, Albertson allegedly admitted taking the money to pay off credit card bills and to initiate a credit check for her and her husband. 

Owners of Liberty Tax said that they were blindsided by the news and that Albertson was a bright applicant for the job. They said that Albertson misled them and didn’t disclose previous financial crimes.

Court records show Albertson is on probation for issuing a bad check and is in the middle of another case for deceptive practices.

Albertson was fired from Liberty Tax prior to her arrest on April 2. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $50,000.

A tentative jury trial is set for June 1.