7-27-13 man convicted of stealing from church

An Ixonia man will spend some time in jail for stealing thousands of dollars from an Ashippun church.  At a plea and sentencing hearing Wednesday, 62 year old James Schlieve pleaded no contest to a charge of theft of a business setting in Dodge County Circuit Court.  Nine other counts of theft of a business setting and four counts of misappropriating identifying information to obtain money were dismissed and read into the record.  Judge Andrew Bissonnette handed down a withheld five-year probation sentence along with a year in jail.  Schlieve was accused of taking 162 thousand dollars from an endowment fund he helped manage for Zion Lutheran Church in Ashippun.  He allegedly used the money for daily expenses.  Court records indicate that restitution has been paid in full.  Schlieve must also pay $4,100 in fines and fees and complete 150 hours of community service.