Young Gilford woman previously charged with prostitution now facing theft of funds allegation

Published Date Written by Edward Engler

LACONIA — City police arrested a Gilford woman who allegedly stole some checks from a Sanbornton home last July where she was a guest and cashed at least one of them at the victim's bank.
Affidavits filed in the 4th Circuit Court, Laconia Division say that Chantel Labounty, 20, of 9049 Deer Run Road was a guest in the home of one of her friends while his parents were away on vacation from May until June of 2012.
When they returned the victim noticed a pack of her checks and some other miscellaneous items were missing.
Labounty faces two counts of forgery and was held on $500 cash bail after appearing in court yesterday.
The victim went to Laconia Police after speaking with a representative of the bank who said one of her checks was cashed there at the drive up window.
During their investigation, police said on June 14, Labounty successfully cashed the $360 check at about 9:15 a.m. Affidavits said video surveillance tapes given them by the bank showed her come to the drive up window in a van owned by a cleaning company.
When Labounty returned a second time that day with a check for $400, the teller told her the check was "not cashable" but was able to get a copy of Labounty's driver's license.
While city police were dealing with Labounty on an unrelated matter in July of 2012, she told police she was at the victim's home but hadn't taken anything.
She told police one of the other two people who were with her in Sanbornton had filled out the checks and given them to her to cash. She told police she was aware the victim hadn't signed them.
Labounty was arrested be Tilton Police on October of 2012, then indicted by a Belknap County grand jury for one misdemeanor count of prostitution and one felony count of possession of oxycodone for allegedly enticing a man through Craig's list to meet her for sex and taking his money to buy drugs.
The victim reported the crime to Tilton Police.