Convicted Willits embezzler pleads guilty to perjury

A Willits woman already convicted of one of Mendocino County's largest embezzlement cases has now pleaded guilty to perjury for lying under oath during her April trial.

Christine Kelly Kelsay, 35, also pleaded guilty Tuesday to creating false financial declarations for use in family law court and agreed to sentencing enhancements, district attorney spokesman Mike Geniella reported on Facebook. The new charges carry a potential sentence of more than eight years in prison, he said. She previously was sentenced to four years in the county jail for the embezzlement conviction and related special allegations.

The district attorney's office did not cite the specific lies involved in the perjury case. But Geniella said investigators identified at least 23 “provable and specific” instances of perjury.

Kelsay admitted during her trial she had lied in family court documents as well as on tax documents. At the time, she was attempting to explain the large amounts of cash that had passed through her bank accounts.

During her trial Kelsay also attempted to lay the blame for the stolen money on others at Geigers Long Valley Market in Laytonville, including her boss and the finance manager who spotted the thefts.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 707-462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com.