Jury returns guilty verdicts in $1.8M grand theft trial

Former state employee stole money intended for foster children

Lonna Carroll walks from the courtroom to a law enforcement vehicle after day one of her trial on April 1, 2025, at the Hughes County Courthouse in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota

PIERRE – A Hughes County jury found a former state employee guilty of stealing nearly $1.8 million Thursday, money that had been intended to serve foster children.

The jury of seven men and five women wasted little time in returning the verdict against Lonna Carroll following closing arguments – about 45 minutes of deliberation. Carroll, 68, stared emotionless, as she had throughout the three-day trial, as Judge Christina Klinger read the guilty verdicts for two counts of grand theft.

Sentencing will be held at a later date. Because the law was changed following 2013, she faces two potential prison ranges of 15 years and 25 years for each count.

Tearful admission caps day-two of $1.8M Lonna Carroll embezzlement trial