ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – A year-long investigation into missing funds has culminated in the arrest of an Angola startup owner facing multiple felony financial charges.
35-year-old Kelby D. Thiebaut, turned herself in to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office where she was formally charged with Level 6 felonies for money laundering, theft, and fraud, alongside a Class A misdemeanor theft charge.
Thiebaut, identified as a “sweat equity” partner in a startup that supports behavioral healthcare facilities across the country, is accused of converting client payments and business resources for her personal use.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Steuben Superior Court, the investigation revealed that in 2025, Thiebaut intercepted a $10,000 payment from an out-of-state client in California that never reached the company’s accounts.
Furthermore, prosecutors allege she repeatedly misused the startup’s corporate credit card without authorization.
Court documents show she racked up thousands of dollars in personal purchases, including paying for her individual cell phone service, buying new tires from a roadside assistance service, and funneling $1,000 deposits directly into her personal PayPal account.
If convicted on all counts, Thiebaut faces a maximum sentence of eight and a half years in prison
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