Former Green River Urban Renewal Agency manager sentenced for stealing over $77k

GREEN RIVER (WNE) — A former Green River city official will do jail time for supporting her gambling habits and online shopping sprees with city funds.

The city of Green River’s former Main Street/ Urban Renewal Agency (URA) manager, Jennifer “Jen” Melvin, changed her plea from not guilty to guilty on two counts of theft over $1,000.

On Tuesday, April 30, Third District Court Judge Joseph Bluemel sentenced Melvin for theft from the Green River Development Fund and the Flaming Gorge Days account.

She will be incarcerated for not more than eight years and no less than four years on both counts of knowingly taking property without authorization, as well as three years of supervised probation.

She was also ordered to pay all the money she took back to the city of Green River, which totaled to the amount of $77,494.08 she took out of the accounts between January of 2021 and May of 2023.

Flaming Gorge Days, an annual event for over 60 years, was canceled in 2023 because the account was empty.

According to Teresa Thybo, chief deputy county attorney, Melvin ordered “multiple Amazon purchases that did not benefit the community.” Items included new towels, bracelets, a 20-piece candle set, skin products, tarot cards, storage containers, Ring doorbell, stainless steel knife set, a fuzzy blanket for her couch, witchcraft-related items and numerous other items.

Thybo pointed out that the state asked for a prison sentence because Melvin “violated the community’s trust.”

Eric Phillips, Melvin’s  defense attorney,  noted that Melvin is about 50 years old, and she doesn’t have a criminal history.

“In no way, I’m making an excuse for the horrible thing I did,” said Melvin. “I convinced myself I’d pay it back, but I know it’s no one’s fault but mine.”

This story was published on May 4, 2024.