An Austin woman whose job included shopping on behalf of vulnerable adults, is accused of stealing $17,351 from them. She is facing four felony counts and up to 40 years in prison.

Bridget Ann Fodness, 39, who was fired by the Austin service provider in May after being confronted about missing client funds, was arrested Wednesday by Austin police. After investigations that began in May, authorities allege in a Mower County Court filing that she had diverted shopping money of six clients for her use and taken cash box money from three other clients for a total theft of $17,351.

Fodness admitted to thefts, but also said she has been struggling with bi-polar disorder and alcohol, according to court documents.

The complaint filed by police seeks three counts of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults and one count of theft. The four felonies each have a max penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Mower County District Court Judge Christa M. Daily set bail Oct. 19 at $20,000.

According to the complaint, on May 4, staff members of Independent Management Services reported that an employee, Fodness, had stolen money meant for clients’ use. Part of her job as a “guardian and/or conservator” was to go shopping and make purchases for her clients.

IMS is private corporation that provides many services, including conservatorship and guardianship.

An IMS employee who led the corporation’s internal investigation, “found many discrepancies; including forged signatures on receipts and property that was allegedly purchased, but not located.”

The largest cumulative amount taken from one client was $6,657.

A police detective and Mower County Human Services personnel spoke with six of those clients. “All of the victims said that they never gave the defendant permission or authority to take or use their money for the defendant’s own benefit,” says the complaint.

IMS told police that it has reimbursed the victims.

When she was confronted about the missing money by IMS personnel, Fodness “then informed the staff that she had a problem with alcohol and that she had been stealing client funds” and had taken money from a lock box in the office.

Later that day, Fodness told an officer the last time she stole any money was around the beginning of April 2017 and she “admitted stealing money and falsifying receipts and that her acts began in December 2016.”

On Oct. 18, after she was arrested, the police detective interviewed Fodness in the Mower County Jail and she said “that she was struggling with bi-polar disorder and was self-medicating with alcohol at the time of the thefts, which she said occurred from January to March 2017,” the complaint says. She was surprised to hear the total was more than $16,000, it adds.