Former school secretary faces embezzlement charges in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

A former secretary has been accused of embezzling more than $15,000 from a Stevens Point elementary school's coffers between March 2008 and Jan. 31, 2010. She's also suspected of taking more than $5,000 from a high school dance team between February 2006 and March 2007.


Sandy L. Schlicher, 47, of Plover, has been charged with two counts of felony theft. She is scheduled to make an initial appearance Jan. 24 in Portage County Circuit Court.

According to a criminal complaint filed Dec. 28, the first count stems from missing money from Washington Elementary School. School officials contacted Stevens Point police about possible embezzlement at the elementary school Feb. 5 after several instances in which money entrusted to Schlicher for deposit either had never been deposited in the school's bank account or had been deposited in different amounts or forms.

The complaint states officials contacted police after they learned that $600 raised for Haitian refugees during a school bake sale had not been deposited at the bank. When officials asked Schlicher if she had made the deposit she could not provide a bank receipt, the complaint states.

After analyzing school financial records from 2008 to 2010, school personnel reportedly found several other instances in which deposit vouchers had been filed with Schlicher in the office but had not been made at the bank, the complaint states. There also were late deposits, and deposits that had been changed from cash to checks. A total cash shortage of more than $15,750 eventually was found.

When officers searched Schlicher's residence Feb. 16, they reportedly found two deposit slips for Portage County Bank, a pile of shredded paper similar to the kind used by the school for deposit vouchers, numerous checks for Washington School and several deposit slips. A bag containing 43 personal checks and five deposit slips also was found, along with an October 2009 deposit voucher from the school consisting of $103.20 in cash and coins.

The second count of the complaint charges that Schlicher embezzled more than $5,000 from the Stevens Point Area Senior High Pom and Dance team between February 2006 and March 2007, when she was the organization's treasurer.

Contacted about the embezzlement by the current treasurer of the SPASH Pom and Dance team in October of this year, police allegedly found that Schlicher had misappropriated funds from a formal dress sale fundraiser, and never paid bills for embroidery work or bus tickets.