KEY WEST, Fla. — A 60-year-old woman who was accused of stealing from a private school — as she allegedly abused her position as a business manager until 2014 — was behind bars on Monday in Key West, records show.
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Monroe County Circuit Judge Mark Wilson recently ordered Lori A. Kerbel, who was accused of stealing from Montessori Children’s School, to pay more than $11,490 in restitution through monthly payments, according to prosecutors.
Wilson accepted Kerbel’s plea of no contest on July 28, and he sentenced her to 270 days in Monroe County Jail, a five-year probation, and 50 hours of community service, according to Monroe County prosecutors.
Kerbel, who was the business manager and bookkeeper of the Montessori Children’s School from October 2012 to August 2014, made unauthorized “personal purchases” with the school’s funds and credit cards, according to the Key West Police Department.
Aside from an upgrade to her health insurance coverage, Kerbel’s “personal purchases” also included home furnishings, electronics, jewelry, and clothing, according to police.
Kerbel, also known as Lori Ruben, has an arrest record in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Oklahoma, records how.
According to court records, Monroe County prosecutors filed the felony case against Kerbel for third-degree grand theft on Dec. 9, 2014, when a judge issued an arrest warrant.
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Court records showed deputies served the arrest warrant on Aug. 17, 2018, and Kerbel pleaded not guilty on Sept. 6, 2018. Her bond was $15,000.
Kerbel, who was born in Ohio, moved to Texas and notified the court in Monroe County that she had moved to Corinth in 2018 and to Boyd in 2021, according to court records.
Kerbel was allowed to skip some court dates in 2019, 2020, and 2021, court records show. Wilson issued an arrest warrant on Jan. 4, 2022.
The court’s public docket shows inactivity from a return mail on Feb. 11, 2022, to a substitution of counsel on March 25, 2025.
According to the July 28 negotiated plea statement, Kerbel was booked at the Blackhawk County Jail on Dec. 3, 2025, in Waterloo, Iowa, on a warrant related to the case.
The next notices of appearance were on Jan. 26 and March 3. Records show Kerbel was arrested again on Feb. 27 and booked at the MCSO jail in Key West. Her bond was $300,000.
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Judge’s restitution order filed on Aug. 4
MCSO inmate record
Excerpt from pre-trial services March 12 report
Excerpt from July 28 negotiated plea statement
