Bismarck Tribune

By VIRGINIA GRABy VIRGINIA GRANTIER

A former office manager of a Mandan coffee wholesaler is facing felony theft and forgery charges for allegedly increasing her own hourly salary from $14.50 to $22 per hour and obtaining more than $13,000 that she wasn't entitled to, according to court documents.

Nancy Lee Fettig, 44, of Bismarck, was summoned to appear at a Tuesday bond hearing where South Central District Judge Robert Wefald ordered that she be released on her promise to appear.

Fettig is facing a felony theft charge and two counts of felony forgery - crimes alleged to have occurred on or between March 1, 2005, and Sept. 29, 2005, at Coffees & Kitchens Inc., 2201 Third St. S.E., in Mandan.

According to an affidavit prepared by Mandan Police Detective Dave Shipman, Fettig was hired to be the office manager in March 2004. At or around her employee anniversary date in March 2005, Fettig inquired into obtaining a pay raise. A verbal agreement was reached allowing for a "couple dollars an hour"increase in her salary. According to the affidavit, salaries were entered into the payroll computer system by Fettig, including her own hourly salary.

In September 2005, Scot Decker, president of Coffee & Kitchens Inc., had his business records audited by a certified public accountant.

According to the affidavit, the audit concluded that Fettig's hourly salary increased from $14.50 to $22 per hour over a six-month period. The audit indicated that Fettig falsified actual hours worked on her self-initiated time cards, giving her additional income she wasnâ€'t entitled to.

Included with the audit was a spread sheet that showed Fettig had been overcompensated $13,318.46, which included $1,745.33 in Internet sales commissions that she allegedly was not entitled to receive.

Decker did not approve of any hourly increase over $16.50 per hour for Fettig, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, in addition to the "overcompensation salary," Fettig forged two payroll checks to herself in March 2005 and signed the checks using her employer's name, Scot Decker. One payroll check was valued at $1,751.52 and the other at $2,051.93.

Fettig's attorney, Tom Dickson, told the Tribune that "a business competitor has made a very untrue and unfair accusation against Nancy."

"She used to work there, and then she left to start her own business in competition to him. That's the basis for the accusation," Dickson said.

Decker said Thursday that it was while Fettig was still employed with Coffees & Kitchens Inc. that an accountant found discrepancies in the books. Decker said an audit was done in early September 2005, police were called in mid-September, and Fettig was fired from her position on Sept. 29, 2005.

"The police investigation is what led to her termination," Decker said.

The next hearing in the case was set for 2 p.m. May 30.

(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or at virginia.grantier@;bismarcktribune.com.)