Not guilty pleas in theft, burglary case

SANDPOINT — A former cashier accused of skimming from tills at the Ponderay Walmart pleaded not guilty on Monday.

KateLyn Dawn Blankenship’s plea clears the way for a two-day jury trial in 1st District Court on felony theft and burglary charges. Blankenship’s defense counsel, Deputy Public Defender Luke Hagelberg, entered the not-guilty plea on his client’s behalf, according to court documents.

Blankenship, 19, became the subject of an in-house investigation by Walmart and the matter was referred to Ponderay Police, court records indicate.

Blankenship admitted perpetrating the thefts, some of which were captured on the store’s surveillance cameras, according to a Ponderay Police affidavit.

Blankenship is accused of slipping $50 and $100 bills into her coat sleeve. All told, Blankenship is accused of stealing $3,080 from Sept. 1 to Sept. 25, according to the affidavit.

Blankenship is free on her own recognizance while the case is pending. She has no prior criminal record in the state, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository.