GRAND ISLAND — A Hall County District Judge has ordered a Grand Island woman accused of running a headstone fraud scheme to take antipsychotic medication in an effort to restore her competency to stand trial.
On August 21, Judge Andrew Butler ruled that 54-year-old Kelli Lepler, who is currently being held at the Lincoln Regional Center, must be treated with prescribed medication after she was found incompetent to face charges. Lepler is accused of accepting $258,404 from 43 customers through her business, Monument Advisors, without ever installing the headstones. The alleged transactions occurred between January 2020 and February 2023.
Lepler faces 46 counts of theft by deception, including 38 felonies and eight misdemeanors. Prosecutors argue that treatment is essential to move the case forward. Dr. Amy Barker of the Lincoln Regional Center testified that the prescribed medication has at least a 50 percent success rate in treating Lepler’s diagnosed delusional disorder. Butler’s order stated the treatment is “substantially likely” to restore her competency without interfering with her ability to work with her attorney.
Lepler raised constitutional objections, including her right to refuse medical treatment and religious freedom claims, but Butler found she did not provide sufficient evidence to support those arguments. He also ordered that medication be discontinued if negative side effects outweigh any therapeutic benefit.
Lepler will first be given the chance to take the medication voluntarily. If she refuses, staff at the Regional Center are authorized to administer it involuntarily. A review and status hearing is scheduled for October 1.
Prosecutor Matthew Boyle is representing the state, while Lepler is being defended by Deputy Hall County Public Defender Jessica Fauss.
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