PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- A former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing an estimated $1.8 million in state and federal funds from the department’s Child Protection Services, where she had control of the funds.

68 year old Lonna Carroll of Algona, Iowa, entered the plea Tuesday in Hughes County Circuit Court. She is charged with two felony counts of Aggravated Grand Theft. The thefts occurred between 2010 and 2023.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the financial discrepancy was discovered by DSS in February 2024, within a week of implementing a new record keeping system. He says it’s highly unlikely any of the nearly $2-million will be recovered.

Carroll’s trial has been scheduled for Dec. 4, 2024, in Pierre. She is being held in the Hughes County Jail on a $50,000 cash or surety bond.

Maximum sentence for Count One is 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The maximum sentence for Count Two is 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.