Ex-Oxford Tax Collector Case Continued Until March 15

The court case against a former Oxford tax collector accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the tax office is ongoing.

Karen Guillet, 62, of 2 Douglas Lane, appeared briefly at Milford Superior Court on Tuesday with her husband, Nil, to learn that her case had been continued until March 15, according to court clerks. Discussions between prosecutors and Guillet's defense attorney, Dominick Thomas, are ongoing. Thomas told the Valley Independent Sentinel that it's premature to define the discussions between the two sides as plea bargain discussions at this point.

Guillet was arrested after police said she stole $243,902, although town officials say she took at least  and probably more. Former First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers says town officials have reason to believe the thefts went back to at least the year 2000, although the criminal investigation only went back to 2006 because police said they discovered enough theft in that time to charge Guillet to the full extent of the law.

Guillet has been charged with seven felonies, including six counts of first-degree forgery and one count of first-degree larceny.

First-degree larceny, the most serious charge, is a Class B felony punishable by between 1 and 20 years in prison and/or up to a $15,000 fine. First-degree forgery is a Class C felony punishable by between 1 and 10 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Guillet is currently free after posting 10 percent of a $100,000 bond.

Guillet has entered a "pro-forma" not guilty plea. "Pro forma" is a Latin term for "as a matter of form." In court, it is a ruling made as a formality in order to move matters along, according to Nolo's plain-English law dictionary.