Rikki Lee Kor of Marshall, Minnesota, is accused of defrauding KHC Construction of money using forged checks

MARSHALL, MINN. – The former accountant for a family-run construction company siphoned more than $95,000 from the business and spent the money on gift cards, a Spotify subscription and casino visits, among other things, county prosecutors said.

Rikki Lee Kor, 49, of Marshall, was charged with 24 counts of fraud in connection with the embezzlement, which spanned about a year until this summer.

Kor was charged on Friday and her first court date is scheduled for October 1.

According to the criminal complaint:

Kor stole the money by writing herself checks and misusing business credit cards while working at KHC Construction in Marshall.

Company owner Kim Christensen, described in the complaint as “not so good with technology,” told a detective he hired Kor through a recruiting firm called PeopleReady. The plan was that the company would screen applicants and he would pay them to pay the new employee. He offered Kor a job in June 2023.

Christensen said he hired an outside accounting firm to help his company move and noticed suspicious transactions.

Christensen said the company began finding checks signed by him but that did not match his signature. Investigators found 12 checks made out to KHC Construction between Nov. 16, 2023, and April 12, 2024, through First Dakota National Bank, all cashed at Prairie's Edge Casino in Granite Falls.