Former Knightdale PTA president found guilty of embezzlement

Former Forestville Road Elementary PTA president Juli Ann Williams was found guilty of embezzling the PTA’s funds last week after a four-day trial.

Williams, who did not testify, was arrested last March when Knightdale Police concluded that she embezzled $4,129 in PTA funds she reported stolen from her car in September 2012.

It was the second embezzlement charge against Williams. In October 2012, Knightdale Police charged Williams with embezzling $1,500 from the school after auditing the PTA’s financial records and discovering the money had gone missing on July 20.

Altogether, police say, Williams took $5,629 from the organization.

She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

In court, Williams’ attorney Stephen Driggers said she took the first $1,500 because she thought the amount would cause tax problems for the organization. That money, the defense claimed, was returned.

The remaining money was stolen from Williams’ car in a Walgreens parking lot while she was on her way from the school to the bank, the defense said. That money was never returned.

Williams will have to pay $6,629 in restitution by Jan. 17, 2018.