Judge again finds owner of Grand Island headstone business unfit for trial

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Grand Island businesswoman accused of ripping off her customers remains mentally incompetent for trial, a judge has ruled.

On Tuesday, 47-year-old Kelli Lepler was ordered to continue her treatment at the Lincoln Regional Center.

This is the fourth time that Hall County District Court Judge Andrew Butler has deemed Lepler incompetent.

He is also a considering a motion to force her to take medication.

SEE ALSO: Owner of Grand Island headstone business again found mentally incompetent for trial

Lepler, who owned Monument Advisors, was charged in 2023 with 46 counts of felony theft by deception.

Court documents say police received 69 complaints from people who paid for a headstone from Lepler but never received it.

In more than 40 of those cases, police said Lepler didn’t even try to order the headstone.

She bilked those customers of a total of $258,404.34, according to the Grand Island Police Department.

SEE ALSO: Owner of Grand Island headstone business arrested on numerous felony charges

Investigators said that Lepler’s business was struggling and that she would use payments from new customers to fulfill old orders.

Lepler has been in the Lincoln Regional Center since January.

Butler has scheduled her next hearing for Oct. 21.

SEE ALSO: Investigation into Nebraska headstone business finds victims lost over $200,000