Circle Pines woman, 86, accused of stealing nearly $60K from Lions Club

An 86-year-old woman is accused of stealing nearly $60,000 from the Circle Pines Lexington Lions Club during her time as the organization’s treasurer, according to court documents filed in Anoka County.

Investigators say that Virginia Ilene Hestekind, of Circle Pines, spent seven years making withdrawals from Lions Club accounts at banks and businesses that sell pull tabs including Carbone’s in Circle Pines, Grand Casino Hinckley, the American Legion in Lino Lakes and Shortstop Bar & Grill in Coon Rapids.

According to the criminal complaint, employees at Carbone’s told law enforcement that Hestekind showed up once a week for four years and typically spent between $100 and $200 on pull tabs during each visit.

As the sole person in charge of the club’s debit card, Hestekind’s withdraws allegedly drained the funding so much that the group was unable to pay its $100 monthly storage fee...