Former Island Park city clerk charged with embezzling public funds

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (KIFI) — A former clerk for the City of Island Park is charged with embezzling over $219,500 from the city.

Reeca Marotz is charged with two counts of misusing public money after an investigation by the Idaho Attorney General's Office.

According to court documents, the Attorney General's Office began the investigation in February 2026 after an auditor found discrepancies while reviewing the city's books and reported them to Mayor Bruce Ard. The auditor found written checks where the payee and signer were the same person, but the city's accounting software listed a different payee. The written check was signed and made payable to Reeca Marotz, who had been the city clerk since 2011.

Court documents said the auditor found more altered checks written between 2018 and 2025. They also found copies of checks that may have been forged with a city councilman's signature.

Court documents also noted that after Ard contacted investigators on February 27, 2026, about finding binders of past monthly expenses that appeared to include numerous unauthorized purchases, a suspected arson occurred at the city offices on March 1.

Investigators said they researched only the past five years and found that Marotz has stolen $219,506.71 in city funds since September 1, 2021.

Marotz made her first court appearance on August 26, 2026. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Marotz on Oct. 13, 2026, to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.