A woman accused of stealing more than $12,000 from the Bass-Hoover Elementary
School Parent Teacher Organization while serving as its treasurer pleaded guilty
to two counts of embezzlement Wednesday in Frederick County Circuit Court.
Catherine Martin, 40, faces up to 40 years in prison, 20 years on each count.
Judge Clay Athey ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled a sentencing
hearing for May 15.
Authorities accused Martin of committing embezzlement from August 2011 to
March 2012, a period during which the PTO lost a total of $12,403. Martin was
the PTO treasurer in 2011 and part of 2012. She was indicted on Oct. 4.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office began investigating Martin in May 2012
after a phone call from the PTO's president. The department collected pages of
bank statements and receipts in building its case against Martin.
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Andrew M. Robbins noted Thursday there was
no plea agreement in the case, and Martin had been "pretty cooperative from the
outset" of the investigation.
"It's always good when somebody accepts responsibility for their actions,"
Robbins said. It's always good to see somebody stand up and take responsibility,
and she did that."
Robbins said Martin had cited trouble paying some bills as the motive for
using the PTO funds for herself.
Robbins said there was no link between Martin's crimes and another former
Bass-Hoover PTO official who was sentenced in January to four years in prison on
15 counts of embezzlement.
Shawn Marie Bianco, also of Stephens City, embezzled $119,312 as a board
member of the Bass-Hoover PTO, the Robert E. Aylor Middle School PTO and the
Georgetowne Court Homeowners Association.
Bianco was originally charged with 26 counts but pleaded guilty to 15 as part
of a plea agreement.
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