Former Housekeeper Sentenced for Stealing From Clients

ST. CLOUD -- A Cold Spring woman who worked as a housekeeper has been sentenced for stealing money, jewelry, and prescription drugs from the homes she was cleaning. A Stearns County judge has sentenced 47-year-old Nichole Zachow to three years and three months in prison.

Zachow pleaded guilty to two felony counts of theft last October.

The incidents happened at homes in Cold Spring, Sartell and St. Cloud. Court records show a client noticed $120 in cash missing from her son's bedroom in September 2016. Another victim in Sartell was missing more than $5,000 in jewelry and in April 2017,

Zachow also took oxycodone from a home on Cooper Avenue in St. Cloud.  Police were able to set up a sting to catch Zachow taking the medication while she cleaned the house a second time.

Additional theft charges pending against her for allegedly stealing $1,500 in cash and JCPenney gift cards from a Sartell home and more than $640 from a St. Cloud Apollo Class Reunion Committee account are being dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

According to the Stearns County Attorney's Office Zachow will have to pay more than $7,200 restitution.  It includes victims in the files which were dismissed.