Stillwater School Employee Charged With 12 Felony Theft Counts, Accused of Taking More Than $90K From School Fund
Published: September 21st, 2026.
STILLWATER MN: — A Stillwater Middle School employee has been charged with 12 counts of felony theft after authorities allege she took more than $90,000 from a school fund over a period spanning approximately seven years.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Washington County, Danielle Elaine Heller, 40, is accused of taking a total of $90,613.50 from Stillwater Middle School's "Sunshine Fund" between 2017 and 2024. The fund was intended to pay for staff-related expenses and celebrations.
The complaint alleges Heller oversaw the Sunshine Fund beginning in 2013.
Stillwater police became involved on April 11, 2025, when officers met with the school's principal and the Stillwater School District's executive director of human resources. School officials told investigators an internal investigation had concluded Heller took money from the fund.
Investigators obtained bank statements and transactions covering 2017 through 2024. According to the complaint, a fraud investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension compiled the transactions into a spreadsheet, which school officials then reviewed to identify purchases they considered unauthorized.
The alleged purchases included personal Verizon, Comcast and Xcel Energy bills, as well as Amazon and restaurant purchases, according to the complaint.
Police interviewed Heller with her attorney present on April 30, 2025. According to the complaint, Heller told investigators she initially intended to borrow money from the fund because she was experiencing financial difficulties and intended to repay it.
Heller allegedly told investigators she believed she had taken between $20,000 and $30,000 and was surprised when informed the total was close to $100,000. The complaint further alleges Heller acknowledged depositing other school funds into the Sunshine Fund that were not supposed to be placed there so she could personally access the money. She allegedly told investigators she did not keep records of how much she took.
Prosecutors divided the alleged thefts into 12 periods, resulting in 12 felony theft charges. The amounts alleged in each period range from $1,066.26 to $11,804.96. Prosecutors allege the combined total was $90,613.50.
Several of the charges carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, while others carry maximum penalties of up to five years and a $10,000 fine.
The charges are allegations. Heller is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.