COEUR d'ALENE - The city of Coeur d'Alene terminated the female finance department employee suspected of embezzling city money.

City Attorney Mike Gridley said the termination was effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday after the employee did not show up for a personnel meeting with department heads Monday afternoon to address the allegations she stole city funds.

"The result is that the employee is terminated," Gridley said. "They had the hearing, the evidence was presented, she was not there."

The city is not revealing the employee's name.

A records request by The Press for a copy of the letter the city sent the employee notifying her of her termination was declined, as personnel records are except from disclosure without the employee's permission.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the case, said it plans on issuing a press release if an arrest is made.

Gridley said last week the city has confirmed at least five fraudulent transactions.

"There was significant cause" for termination, Gridley said. "It's going to be thousands of dollars. It's not an insignificant amount."