Former ISU employee sentenced to 14 years probation for embezzlement

On Monday morning, the former Idaho State University student and employee who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $116,000 from the school over the course of four years starting in 2012, learned his sentence. embezzlement

Judge Naftz sentenced Tyler Liddle to 14 years of probation, where he will have to pay back every cent from the $116,791.57 he stole from the Universtiy using hundreds of fake invoices and receipts disguised as club organizations or groups needing money.

“This is awfully criminal bookkeeping, I mean, holy cow,” Judge Naftz said. “Because of the repeated criminal acts time and time again, I don’t think it’s appropriate to give you withheld judgment and you’re going to have to live with that conviction right now.”

During the sentencing, Liddle was cooperative and at one point apologized for not only stealing from ISU, but also the possible ripple effects that could have had on the local economy.

“I would like to apologize to the community and ISU because it affects more than just the ISU campus,” Liddle said. “The scope of this goes beyond what happened here in Bannock County on the Pocatello campus.”

As part of his plea deal, Liddle is not allowed to live in Pocatello, so he will have to also serve 150 community service hours in the Nampa area where he’s currently living.

Initially, if convicted, a ten-year jail sentence along with a $100,000 fine was on the table as punishment. However, Naftz told Liddle, although he wanted to impose that jail sentence, there just isn’t enough room in the jail anymore.

“This is a petty criminal act you did, and (jail time) would do you some good…but I don’t have any more room in the jail. And, why burden the taxpayers with more time with you in jail?” Naftz added.

At the end of the sentencing, Liddle told Local News 8 he did in fact act alone during those four years.

To see the police report and for more background on the story, click HERE.