APPEALS COURT FINDS NO ERROR IN FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER’S CONVICTION

 A North Carolina Court of Appeals panel has found no error in the conviction of a former Brunswick County School Board member for embezzlement when he led a local school’s PTA.

Ray Gilbert, who served on the school board from 2004 to 2008, was arrested in June 2013 and charged with embezzling more than $3,000 from the PTA at Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary School in Ash. A jury convicted Gilbert in June 2017 on two counts of embezzlement by an officer of a charitable organization. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 16-29 months, both of which were suspended for 36 months of supervised probation.

In an unpublished opinion from the NC Court of Appeals released today, a panel of judges denied Gilbert’s claims, including concerns about jury instructions and the testimony of a Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office detective, were enough to grant him a new trial. The judges, though, did leave open the possibility of Gilbert getting appropriate relief for ineffective assistance of counsel.

According to the ruling, investigators charged Gilbert, who served as Jessie Mae Monroe’s PTA president from 2011 to 2013, after a CPA’s review of the organization’s finances “found several problematic transactions, such as transactions with no receipts, unaccounted for gift cards and fundraising certificates, checks for meals, checks reimbursing Defendant personally for gas and travel expenses, and checks issued without the purpose indicated.”

Prosecutors offered as evidence transactions including golf shirts embroidered with the name of the church where Gilbert was the pastor, but billed to and paid for by the PTA; PTA reimbursements to Gilbert for gas used to attend a family funeral; a digital camera purchased by Gilbert with PTA funds; numerous unaccounted for gift cards bought with PTA funds; payments to PTA board members and their families; reimbursements for food at PTA board meetings; and renewal of the church’s Sam’s Club membership with PTA funds.

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Gilbert presented no evidence at trial in his own defense and moved to have the case dismiss, which was denied.

The PTA’s treasurer testified against Gilbert after being granted immunity from prosecution.

Former parent-teacher group president due in court Monday for hearing in $22,000 embezzlement case

The former president and treasurer of an Indio elementary school parent-teacher organization accused of embezzling more than $22,000 from the association was scheduled to be in court on Monday.

Danny Cervantes, 35, of Indio, is charged with grand theft. He's accused of taking $22,043 over the course of 10 months via a debit card issued to him as the head of the Herbert Hoover Elementary School's parent-teacher organization.

He was due in court on Monday for a felony settlement conference.

Cervantes was appointed the organization's president and treasurer in October 2016 due to his background as an accountant, according to an arrest warrant declaration that says his responsibilities included "balancing the books, issuing checks/payments, purchasing and making deposits."

Cervantes made withdrawals from the account and "vehemently avoided" providing any bank statements or updates on the association's finances to other organization members, according to the declaration.

Supporting documents indicate the embezzlement began shortly after he was appointed. Indio police began an investigation last fall, when a Hoover Elementary teacher came forward to report she found copies of the bank statements, which showed "excessive ATM/Teller activity," which was unusual because the PTA "rarely dealt with cash and mostly wrote checks or used the debit card to pay for items."

She also told police that "because of her comfort and longstanding friendship with Danny, (she) never suspected any wrongdoing," the declaration states.

Police obtained video and photographic evidence of Cervantes allegedly making transactions at various ATMs throughout the area.

When interviewed by Indio detectives, he allegedly denied making the transactions and said other people had access to the debit card. But once confronted with photos of his ATM withdrawals, he allegedly admitted taking the money and wrote an apology letter to the school stating he would pay back the missing funds, according to police.

Former IB Charter School PTA President Arrested

Former IB Charter School PTA president Kaitlyn Birchman was arrested on Jan. 2 at her home in Temecula and arraigned on Jan. 10. She has been charged with embezzlement of $400 or more, grand theft and writing fictitious checks.

The Sheriff’s Department Financial Crimes Unit (FCU) had been investigating the missing funds of $14,802 Birchman has allegedly stolen for almost a year. Although the current PTA puts the missing amount at $40,000, the Sheriff’s Department FCU Sgt. Karl Miller says only the $14,000 can be proven is actually missing. “Proof guides the investigation, not emotions,” said Miller about the discrepancy of the funds.

Last January 2018, the PTA board discovered Birchman’s mishandling of funds and in March the issue was brought up during a board meeting. After a heated discussion, a motion was made to remove Birchman from the board. Miller and other officers attended the March meeting and said that the board found out Birchman had closed the bank account and was writing checks from that account. When one of the vendors who received a fraudulent check complained, the embezzlement was discovered. 

“The board was surprised and shocked. There was no bank account,” said current PTA president Amber Vissuet. “A lot of checks throughout the year couldn’t be deposited because there was no bank account.”

“The school district was not paid over $5,000 so all the field trips were cancelled,” said current Treasurer Elizabeth McKay.

After the embezzlement was discovered McKay said some parents told her during a membership drive they had heard what happened and did not want to join the PTA.

“We’re taking it seriously and we are 100 percent transparent and accountable,” she said about going forward.  

“Due to lack of accountability she [Birchman] was put into the position… it went from three people authorizing withdrawals to one,” said Miller. “If you look at the investigation as a whole, the PTA had the right policies but did not implement them.”

Birchman is currently out on a $25,000 bond and a court date has not been set. The District Attorney is looking at the investigation to see what can be proven without reasonable doubt, explained Miller.

Chester woman sentenced to 3 months in jail for embezzling $24,500 from elementary school PTA

A self-employed accountant who was elected treasurer of Elizabeth Scott Elementary School’s PTA pleaded guilty Thursday to embezzling $24,500 from the organization after earlier skipping her trial and fleeing to North Carolina.

After accepting her plea in Chesterfield County Circuit Court, Judge David E. Johnson sentenced Jessica L. Yeakey, 42, of Chester, to five years in prison with four years and nine months suspended, giving her three months to serve. The punishment exceeded discretionary sentencing guidelines, which called for probation and no incarceration.

Yeakey’s conviction this week came more than a year after she was declared a fugitive for skipping her Dec. 11, 2017, embezzlement trial. That proceeding had been rescheduled for Jan. 25, 2018, but she skipped a second time, said Chesterfield Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert J. Fierro Jr.

Authorities learned she traveled to North Carolina in January and entered a substance abuse recovery program in that state. She traveled back to the Richmond area Dec. 6 and was arrested by Richmond police on the warrant issued for her arrest for skipping trial.

Yeakey testified Thursday that she returned to the Richmond area to turn herself in, but Fierro said he didn’t have any way to independently verify that.

According to a summary of the case, the Scott Elementary PTA recruited Yeakey to be their treasurer in August 2016 based on her self-employment as the operator of an accounting firm called Jessica Yeakey Bookkeeping Services. Her Facebook page advertising the business said she had more than 15 years of experience in private and public accounting.

Before Yeakey assumed the treasurer’s position, the PTA performed an audit of their accounts in July 2016, Fierro said. When the school year began, the organization held a series of fundraising events that continued through March 2017.

“The leadership of this PTA maintained some very strong accounting procedures, which involved multiple individuals counting and verifying monies and checks that had come in at various fundraising events,” Fierro said. These procedures were carried out before turning over the collected funds to Yeakey, he added.

“She was entrusted to hold the sums until they could be deposited [into] a specific account that had been set up for this PTA,” Fierro explained.

However, Yeakey failed to make deposits beginning in October 2016 and “she made no further deposits after that time,” the prosecutor said.

That continued until March 2017, when PTA officials were able to determine how much money Yeakey had taken and failed to deposit — $24,545.49, Fierro said.

The PTA had $17,000 in the bank in January 2017, but that balance dropped to $275 by March. “So essentially the PTA ran out of money,” he said.

After being confronted about the missing funds, Yeakey would skip and postpone meetings, Fierro said, and she ultimately presented fabricated reports to the PTA board.

An audit was conducted and a member of the PTA’s leadership committee met with Yeakey at her home March 15 to recover all PTA records and journals. She resigned a day later.

Yeakey initially was cooperative and turned over about $14,000 of the missing $24,500. The funds were in random money rolls and checks that had been in her possession for months but not deposited, Fierro said.

The PTA then conducted a more detailed audit and discovered additional funds could not be accounted for. Police were called and investigators conducted a search of Yeakey’s home on March 21, 2017; they found some additional PTA checks and a money box with cash inside. That brought the amount of missing money down to $2,840.23, the prosecutor said.

“She initially told police that she really didn’t steal any money [and] that she was just overwhelmed in life and abusing alcohol,” Fierro said. “She promised to repay the missing money but failed to do so.”

As a condition of her sentence, the judge ordered Yeakey to make restitution in the amount of $2,840. She was also banned from any contact with Elizabeth Scott PTA.

Because Yeakey exceeded her authority in terms of how she handled the missing funds, she “technically did embezzle that full amount,” Fierro explained. “We were just fortunate enough to be able to recover” all but $2,840

Former PTA president charged with embezzlement in San Diego

The Imperial Beach Charter School PTA president was arrested on suspicion of embezzling funds from the group, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit said Wednesday.
A warrant was issued in November for 30-year-old Kaitlyn Birchman, a mother of two. Riverside County deputies arrested Birchman late Tuesday night at her home in Temecula.

Birchman was the head of the Imperial Beach Charter School's parent-teacher association until March, when she was voted off the board. Other members said her departure followed months of missing funds.

“There were thousands of dollars that hadn’t been paid,” current PTA treasurer and former Coronado Police sergeant Elizabeth McKay said.

According to McKay, vendors from previous years sent the PTA bills for unpaid services. McKay contacted the bank and discovered the PTA’s account no longer existed.
“The checks...she had written to herself and signed herself. ATM withdrawals that weren't anywhere near Imperial Beach or had anything to do with a PTA event."
The PTA confronted Birchman in March with the help of a Sheriff’s deputy, who spoke about embezzlement.

"She [Birchman] said that it was just a misunderstanding,” McKay said. “It was a lot of blind faith that they thought if she says everything is okay, then everything must be okay."
Birchman was booked in Riverside County and posted bond.

The former PTA president accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her children’s school, pleaded not guilty at San Diego Superior Court Thursday afternoon.

Kaitlyn Faith Birchman stood next to her attorney with a blank stare, as she listened to the charges she faces: Felony embezzlement, grand theft, and writing bad checks.

“The defendant wrote a check to a vendor of a fundraiser from the PTA bank account, knowing that that bank was closed, and there was no money in the bank account,” Deputy District Attorney Kimball Denton said in open court.

From 2016 to 2018, Birchman served as the PTA president at Imperial Beach Charter School. During that time, prosecutors said she stole at least $14,000 from the school’s membership fees, book drives, and holiday fairs.

“These are all fundraisers, where children grades K through 8 participated in raising money for their school,” Denton said. “As parents, we send our children to school, and we trust that PTA’s and organizations are taking care of our schools and taking care of our children. And that is clearly not what happened here.”

Acting on an arrest warrant, Temecula Police took Birchman into custody on New Year's Day. She has since posted $25,000 bail.

Her public defender, Ray Aragon, asked the judge not to raise the bail amount because she has no criminal record.

“Should these charges be accurate, they clearly are an aberration from her normally law-abiding life,” Aragon argued.

In lieu of raising bail, the judge imposed three special conditions onto Birchman for the duration of the case.

• She must submit to a search at any time, even without a warrant.
• She must be at least 100 yards away from Imperial Beach Charter School.
• She must not take any part in any financial dealings through a school, PTA, or any volunteer activity.

“We just wanted these conditions in place to protect the safety of the community and to prevent her from any kind of future crime,” Denton said.

If convicted, Birchman faces a maximum sentence of three years, eight months.

Treasurer accused of embezzling from Wilton High School PTSA

A Norwalk woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly embezzling from the Wilton High School Parent Teacher Student Association, where she served as the treasurer. 

Police say in January, the president of the Wilton High School PTSA received a complaint of larceny by embezzlement, where an excess of $20,000 had been taken from the PTSA account via unauthorized transactions. 

After an extensive investigation, it was discovered that the treasurer, 42-year-old Crismari Feliz, had stolen $24,008 by making unauthorized withdrawals from the PTSA checking account. She then used those withdrawals to allegedly pay her personal credit card bills and car lease payments. 

Feliz was charged with larceny and released after posting a $25,000 bond. She will appear in court on April 30th. 

West Covina parent accused of embezzling from PTA, Girl Scouts and Little League

A West Covina woman was arrested earlier this month after allegedly embezzling more than $78,000 from the PTA at her daughter’s school, a Girl Scouts troop and the West Covina American Little League, authorities said Monday afternoon.

Veronica Paderez, 37, was arrested on Feb. 4 and booked on suspicion of grand theft after detectives from the West Covina Police Department received reports she stole money from the PTA at Vine Elementary School, said West Covina police spokesman Rudy Lopez.

Paderez had been involved with the PTA since 2014 and had access to the association’s bank accounts. According to the school’s website, Paderez served as the group’s treasurer during the 2014-15 academic year.

A preliminary audit revealed the loss of more than $52,000 from several fraudulent transactions, Lopez said.

Further investigation revealed that Paderez was also involved in the finances belonging to the West Covina American Little League and Girl Scout Troop #4754, Lopez said. The youth baseball group has reported more than $26,000 in losses. Detectives are still trying to determine the exact loss incurred by the Girl Scouts.

Lopez said Paderez’s daughter is in the Girl Scout troop and that an older son participates in Little League.

According to online booking records, Paderez posted $85,000 for her bail the night of her arrest.

No charges have been filed.

Paderez did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Triad woman accused of embezzling from PTA

The former president of the Parent-Teacher Association at a Stokes County elementary school has been charged with embezzlement.
Amanda Goad Tucker faces a count of felony embezzlement, the Stokes News reported. She served as treasurer and president of the PTA at Sandy Ridge Elementary School.
Chief Deputy Craig Carico of the Stokes County Sheriff's Office told the newspaper that his department found evidence that $2,700 had been taken. Police believe the alleged crime happened between October of last year and this month.
Tucker, 34, of Stokes County, was set to appear in court Feb. 18.

Stokes Co. PTA President Charged With Embezzlement

A P.T.A. President from Stokes County is accused of stealing money from Sandy Ridge Elementary School.

The Stokes County Sheriff's Office charged Amanda Tucker with felony embezzlement.

Tucker is accused of stealing $2,700 from the Sandy Ridge Elementary P.T.A. account over the last 5 months.

Stokes County Sheriff Mike Marshall issued a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday afternoon.

"It's sad that an organization that benefits our children such as the P.T.A. falls prey to this illegal activity," said Marshall. "I sincerely hope the monies can be repaid to the P.T.A. and that the P.T.A. can continue to operate as it has in the past until full restitution is paid."

Investigators say Tucker was the president and acting treasurer of the PTA -- but has been let go from both positions.

PTA PRESIDENT CHARGED WITH STEALING FUNDS, SCHOOL TRIES TO RAISE MONEY

An elementary school PTA president has been arrested and charged with stealing money intended for children.

Heather Maloney, 36, was president of the Grady A. Brown Elementary School PTA in Orange County. She was arrested Jan. 26 and charged with embezzling more than $23,000.

According to the Orange County Sheriff, Maloney cashed dozens of checks between September and January.

"It was a shock, and it's been an emotional journey for all of us," said acting PTA president Wendy Hughes.

Hughes said no one was even aware it was happening until the bank notified them that their two accounts were completely drained.

The money was to be used for activities throughout the year including field trips and supplies for teachers. Now, parents are struggling to make ends meet.

"All this money, it's been over years and years that people have given to the PTA, fundraiser after fundraiser, and everything we do with that money is for our kids. Educational-wise we do stuff for our teachers, and so it's just heartbreaking," said PTA Vice President Penny King.

Maloney is out of jail on a $2,500 bond.

The Orange County district attorney is now taking over the case.

The money was to be used for field trips and supplies for teachers. Now, parents are struggling to make ends meet. An account for the PTA has been set up at Community One Bank.

There are three ways to donate:

Deposit donation directly to Community One Bank's Grady A. Brown PTA Cougar Cares account

Donate online: https://sites.google.com/site/gabpta/

Send cash or checks to the school made out to GAB PTA

Former Stedman PTA treasurer surrenders on embezzlement charges

A former PTA treasurer suspected of stealing more than $10,000 from the organization surrendered Tuesday afternoon to Cumberland County investigators, authorities said.

Emily Morgan Robinson, 28, of 2630 Wade-Stedman Road in Stedman, is charged with embezzlement. She was released on an unsecured $2,500 bond.

Robinson served as treasurer for Stedman Elementary School's PTA from August through November. An investigation of PTA funds began on Nov. 20, after discrepancies were discovered in a bank account belonging to school PTA, authorities said.

Detectives searched records involving monies collected through various fundraisers and found that $10,034.96 was unaccounted for. Authorities said Robinson wrote several checks for her personal use from the account and failed to post and deposit cash received from fundraisers.

Man admits embezzling from East Lansing school group

The former treasurer of an East Lansing elementary school’s parent-teacher council told a judge Wednesday that money he embezzled from the group helped pay his home’s mortgage.

As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Robert Clayton Miller — who is on leave from his state job because of a medical condition that was not described in court — will not serve any jail time. Miller pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor embezzlement charge, admitting he took between $200 and $1,000.

The embezzlement happened between June 2012 and June 2013 while Miller was serving as treasurer for Pinecrest Elementary School’s parent-teacher council.

“I was not feeling particularly well,” he told Judge Rosemarie Aquilina at a hearing in Ingham County Circuit Court. “I basically was not (performing my duties) at all.”

Miller, 49, didn’t elaborate on his medical condition, which has caused him to be on leave from his job with the state.

His attorney, Karen Phillips, said in an interview after the hearing: “There were some health issues that...were significant enough for him to be off work.”

In 2013, police discovered that nearly $7,800 was missing from the parent-teacher council. About $6,500 was recovered and returned to the organization. Miller was ordered to pay the remaining amount.

Miller had turned over his treasurer duties to his wife, Kimberly. He said he knew she used the money for a mortgage payment on their East Lansing home. They now live with her mother in Holt, he said.

In 2013, Kimberly Miller pleaded no contest in 54B District Court to a larceny charge, records show. She was placed on probation and ordered to pay more than $2,800 in fines and costs.

A sentence hearing for Robert Miller is set for Feb. 11.

Owasso Parent-Teacher Group Treasurer Charged With Embezzlement

Prosecutors have charged an Owasso mother with embezzlement.

Detectives say 33-year-old Christy Bratton served as treasurer for the Mills Elementary Action Club and stole $4,255.24 from the parent-teacher group.


An audit last month revealed money was missing and detectives turned their case over to Tulsa County prosecutors.

An arrest warrant was issued for Bratton on Wednesday.

Documents say Bratton took the money for her own use and benefit without the consent of Owasso Public Schools or the Mills Action Club.

Former PTA treasurer arrested, charged with embezzlement in Hampton

A woman has been arrested and charged with embezzlement in Hampton, police tell NewsChannel 3.
The woman, 48-year-old Tammie Brown Boyd of Hampton, was the PTA treasurer of Paul Burbank Elementary School.

Boyd was arrested on February 7, 2014. She is charged with one count of embezzlement (felony).
Police say between June 13 and August 13 of 2013, Boyd allegedly embezzled more than $3,000 from the PTA. Hampton police were contacted by the PTA after some discrepancies were seen in their account, police say. PTA members had been contacted by various vendors advising that their checks were bouncing.

After retrieving bank documents, police say it was determined that there were 26 unauthorized transactions in excess of $3,000.

Boyd was subsequently arrested without incident; she turned herself in to police.
The investigation continues and additional charges may be forthcoming, according to Cpl. Mary Shackelford of the Hampton Police Department.

Tammie Brown Boyd volunteered at Paul Burbank Elementary School, helping the children there.
Police believe the now former Parent Teacher Association treasurer also helped herself to thousands of dollars from the PTA's bank account.

"Anytime you have something that happens of this nature, it is, of course, a disappointment," said PTA President Rebecca Henderson. "We're making sure that we handle it to the best way that we can, just to make sure that we continue to be support our kids, to support our PTA, and to support our school."

The PTA contacted Hampton Police Division after the group's checks started bouncing. A review of bank documents showed 26 unauthorized transactions totaling more than $3,000.
Detectives believe 48-year-old Boyd stole the money between June and August of 2013. She turned herself in February 7. Police charged Boyd with 1 count of Felony Embezzlement.

"When you get in there, and you start building rapports, and you have camaraderie, just, actually, the Burbank Pride, you just hate to hear something like that," Russell Jensen told 13News Now.
Jensen and his wife have a daughter who attends the school. They also volunteer at Burbank.
"Highly disappointed, because it is a team over there, and we are a community that tries to raise the kids as a group," explained Jensen. "You know, there was probably a need for the money somehow, but you just can't take from children."

Police said they are continuing to investigate the situation and that more charges against Boyd could be coming.

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.

Middleboro man found guilty of embezzling from school PTA

A 46-year-old man accused of embezzling from the elementary school PTA was found guilty Friday and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service as restitution.
Douglas A. Russell of 958 Center St. was convicted of embezzling more than $30,000. Authorities said the Russell and Sharon M. Ellis, 38, of 287 North Main St., who are both parents of Middleboro students, stole the money during a seven-year span when they were officers of the PTA.
Ellis pleaded guilty in July and was placed on probation for five years and ordered to pay back more than $18,000. Ellis was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, provide a DNA sample and ordered to stay away from fundraising efforts for the rest of her life.
Russell was placed on probation for five years and ordered to stay away from all school activities, other than those he must attend as a parent.
Assistant Plymouth County District Attorney Jessica Healy said Judge Don L. Carpenter heard from the victims and ordered Russell to perform community service, but did not order him to pay restitution.
School Superintendent Roseli S. Weiss said Russell is performing community service in lieu of restitution.
"My understanding is that it will be very difficult for him to do so," Weiss said.
Weiss said Russell is no longer welcome in the school environment, "other than to be a parent to his child. He hurt children and the parents who worked so hard to raise those funds."

Man Sentenced for Embezzling $14K From Daly City School PTA

A man who embezzled more than $14,000 from the parent-teacher association at his son's Daly City school was sentenced Thursday to a stay in county jail, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Mathew Hidalgo, 28, of Belmont, was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail starting Feb. 1, as well as three years' probation, prosecutors said.

Hidalgo was president of the Margaret Pauline Brown Elementary School PTA between Sept. 27 and Nov. 14, 2012, when it was determined he had embezzled at least $14,000 of PTA funds.

According to the district attorney's office, he wrote checks for "cash" that he withdrew himself and did not deposit money raised from book and ice cream sales.

When confronted by the school's principal, Hidalgo said he was borrowing the money so his car would not be repossessed and to pay the Internal Revenue Service back taxes he owed, prosecutors said.

On June 4, he pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement charges as part of a plea deal, prosecutors said.

As part of his sentence, Hidalgo was also ordered to pay $14,632 in restitution to the school.

The principal of the school, located at 305 Eastmoor Ave., attended the sentencing, according to the district attorney's office.

Former PTA president charged with embezzlement in North Carolina

Authorities in Lumberton say a former president of a local elementary school PTA is facing an embezzlement charge.

The Fayetteville Observer reports that Lumberton Police Department Capt. Terry Parker said Angela Bono-Severy is charged with 39 counts each of forgery and embezzlement.

Parker said bail was set at $40,000. It is not known whether Bobn-Severy has an attorney.

The current PTA president contacted Lumberton police in September to report that association funds were missing. Police said she reported between $10,000 and $15,000 was missing from the group's coffers.

But Parker said the investigation determined more money was actually missing, although he didn't give an exact amount.

Parker said the money was taken between August 2010 and Sept. 18.

Henniker, New Hampshire school PTA treasurer accused of embezzling more than $1,000

Police say the treasurer of the Henniker Community School PTA in New Hampshire has been accused of embezzling more than $1,000 from the association's bank account.

Thirty-seven-year-old Shannon Lovejoy of Henniker, a former school board member, has been charged with felony-level theft by embezzlement after police said she wrote checks from the PTA's account for her own benefit.
Police said she became treasurer of the PTA in June and gained full control of the accounts in August.
Police said another member of the PTA contacted them on Oct. 15 when they noticed some money missing from the account.
Lovejoy, who was arrested Tuesday, has declined to comment. She was released on $50,000 personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 3.

Suspects plead guilty; plan to return money to PTA in Michigan

Melissa Moore and Adam Youngs entered guilty pleas Monday in Ottawa County Circuit Court to charges of embezzlement of between $1,000 and $20,000. The pleas were in exchange for time to pay back the money to the organization.

Moore resigned as PTA treasurer in late May. She told Judge Ed Post that she converted the stolen money, which her attorney said was just over $20,000, for her own use.

Youngs told the judge he “benefited from the conversion” and knew what his wife was doing.

Their attorney, James Piper, noted that the agreement called for a repayment on Monday of $9,700, but some of that money needs to come from the bond money they had paid.

Post agreed that they could pay $8,700 on Monday, and then a minimum of $500 a month for eight months to pay the rest of the amount.

A Nov. 4 sentencing date will be delayed for eight months if the couple is meeting the terms of the plea agreement.

Ferry Elementary School Principal Steve Avram told the Tribune for a June story that he was notified a week earlier about discrepancies in the PTA’s checking and savings accounts.

The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety announced Moore’s arrest on July 9. Her husband was arraigned in Ottawa County District Court on July 31.

The police investigation of the embezzlement covered a time frame of Aug. 1, 2012, to May 29, 2013, Post noted during Monday's hearing.

The missing money caused confusion, but PTA members were still able to put on the school's end-of-the-year celebration.

PTA Vice President Andrea Dress said the embezzlement affected a lot of families and left the organization with a mess to deal with.

“They’ve stolen quite a bit from me personally — my time,” she said. “They’ve taken quite a lot.”

PTA President Melissa Poll, who attended Monday's hearing, said: “We’re excited as we leave today. I’m hopeful of getting anything back.”

Poll said they would address the embezzlement situation at the PTA's first meeting of the new school year, which is set for 7 tonight in the school’s art room. The meeting will be moved to the gym if there is a large crowd, she said.

Poll said parent and staff support has been “fabulous” throughout the summer.

“I do 'school of choice' to send my children to Ferry,” she said. “I couldn’t be more happy with my decision.”