Treasurer accused of embezzling over $100,000 from Elkhorn High School show choir

The treasurer of nonprofit organization that funds the Elkhorn High School show choir is in the Douglas County Corrections Center.

Omaha police booked Katrina Christensen on Tuesday morning for theft by deception and embezzling more than $5,000 from the Elkhorn High School pARTners, Parents for the Arts.

In court Wednesday, Douglas County prosecutors said Christensen embezzled $116,625.94. Prosecutors said Christensen wrote personal checks under the non-profits name, applied for personal loans under the nonprofits name and used the nonprofits debit and credit cards for personal use.

Investigators believe Christensen had been stealing money since 2015.

In emails obtained by KETV Newswatch 7, the all-volunteer board of directors made parents aware in early February of "significant losses to our pARTners bank account, inconsistent with previously reported balances."

The board told the parents it made the discovery in late January, a week before the choir's Red Carpet Classic event.

The money raised for the booster organization helps students with travel to show competitions, costumes and other necessities.

Elkhorn High School pARTners, Parents for the Arts sent us this statement:

"We appreciate your concern for our students and program. In the interest of allowing a criminal case to proceed without added prejudice and protecting minors affected by the situation, we are declining to comment at this time on details of our account and any specific activity around it. While we are understandably shocked and disappointed by the discovery of financial losses, we respectfully ask that you allow our volunteer organization to process the situation without interference. We are proactively moving forward, implementing changes to ensure that nothing like this happens again. We are committed to continuing our work of supporting our students in the Arts programs at Elkhorn High."

Elkhorn Public Schools sent us this statement:

“When the matter was brought to the administration by the booster club leadership, we promptly encouraged them to contact the police. We await the outcome of the investigation, and full restitution of the funds intended to support our choral music students.”

Brookfield Embezzlement Plea Hearing Continued, to March

The plea hearing for a woman charged with embezzling from a Brookfield parent-teacher organization was continued from Thursday to March 27 at Danbury Superior Court.

Monica Bevilacqua, 39, of Brookfield, was arrested in December after police said she took money from the Center Elementary School PTO's accounts over two years.

Monica Bevilacqua, 39, of Brookfield, was arrested in December and charged with embezzling $12,700 from a Brookfield parent-teacher organization (PTO) over two years when she served as treasurer. She has been accused of taking money from the organization's accounts via more than 180 personal orders charged to the organization's credit card and a series of checks.

The PTO is a private organization that doesn't receive any public funding from the town of Brookfield or its schools.

Court records also indicate that Bevilacqua was asked to pay $100,000 in December to settle a civil case with a pedestrian she struck and injured in 2016. The previous month, a judge ordered her to pay almost $17,000 she owed to Citibank for her Mastercard bills.

Somerset Woman Stole $34K from Athletic Club to Pay Mortgage

 A Somerset woman is being charged with stealing over $30,000 from a high school athletics organization.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office issued a complaint Thursday morning against Dulce Pacheco, 51, of Somerset, charging her with one count of larceny over $1,200 by single scheme.

Gregg Miliote, the spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, says Pacheco is alleged to have stolen $34,500 in December 2017 from the Somerset Berkley Regional High School Athletics Booster Club. Pacheco was the treasurer of the organization

Pacheco is alleged to have used the cash to pay the mortgage on her home.

Miliote says the investigation into the alleged theft began in December 2018 after the Somerset Police Department became aware of "talk" of the supposed crime. Somerset Police referred the matter to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. Michael Scott, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit of the DA's Office, investigated the allegations with the assistance of the School Resource Officer assigned to Somerset Berkley Regional High School, James Roberts.

Pacheco will be summonsed to appear in Fall River District Court on March 18 for arraignment on the single charge.

Ex-employee arrested, accused of embezzling from Sweetwater Union High School District

A former Sweetwater Union High School District worker was arrested on suspicion of embezzling thousands of dollars from the district while she was an employee.

Danya Margarita Williams, 42, is accused of stealing more than $50,000 in money orders between June 2016 and November 2017, the Chula Vista Police Department said. Williams was arrested March 5 and was booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility, the department announced. Her bail was set at $50,000 and she bailed out Tuesday night, according to the District Attorney.

In a press release, police detailed what led to Williams’ arrest: District officials discovered the embezzlement in late-2017 and reported it to the Chula Vista Police Department. Police detectives, working in coordination with District officials, conducted a thorough investigation. Detectives determined that Williams, while employed by the District, appropriated money orders in excess of $50,000. According to the district, she worked there from October 2001 until February of 2018.

According to police, as a part of her job Williams was responsible for processing money orders received for fingerprint background investigations at the District. Background investigations are required during employment screening. Each applicant pays for the cost of the background investigation, which can range from $52 to $75 per applicant, using money orders. Instead of processing the money in accordance with District requirements, Williams deposited the money into her personal bank account.

After considerable investigation Detectives obtained a warrant for Williams’ arrest.

Williams’ job title was risk management specialist in the district’s accounting department, according to district records from 2017.

Public records for 2017 showed Williams’ earnings including benefits while with the district were $86,877.54 -- a 12 percent raise from her salary from the previous year.

Sweetwater District spokesman Manny Rubio said Williams left her job with the district in February 2018. She had been working in the district's human resources department up until her departure, according to Rubio.

Rubio said Monday, March 11th, there will be a budget meeting where the district will present a plan to balance the budget by the end of 2019.

Williams will be arraigned March 12th, at 1:30 p.m.

Deputy was center of Logan Heights church embezzlement probe

More than $100,000 went missing from New Hope Friendship Baptist Church in 2008 and 2010, according to new Sheriff’s Department investigation report Friday.

The investigation was an Internal Affairs probe into Lt. Devera Scott. Scott was also the treasurer for New Hope Friendship Baptist Church during the time the money went missing.

The report claims Scott admitted to church officials she took the money. However, the church told investigators they did not want to press charges as Scott had promised the church she would it pay it all back through monthly payments, and a portion of her retirement.

The church also told investigators they were in the business of forgiveness and did not want to ruin Scott’s career, according to the documents.

Investigators also learned that Scott made the church a beneficiary to a $300,000 life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy.

The internal investigation became public Friday, following the ruling of a San Diego judge. The decision comes after local media, including 10News, sued to keep police unions from blocking departments from releasing records related to officer misconduct.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department was not part of the suit and has been releasing cases pursuant to SB1421, according to sheriff's department Lt. Karen Stubkjaer.

Scott retired from the sheriff’s department on March 22, 2013, before the investigation into the missing church money was complete according to the documents.

No charges were ever made against Scott.

Other court filings suggest Scott might have been facing financial problems at the time.

10News reached out to the church for comment. The pastor referred 10News to their attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.

10News also attempted reaching out to Scott but has not returned our request for comment.

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.

Woman pleads guilty to grand larceny for stealing funds from Roslyn Harbor church

Therese Iuzzolino, 45, pleaded guilty to grand larceny Tuesday for embezzling more than $180,000 from St. Mary’s Church in Roslyn Harbor, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a press release.

The theft spanned from Dec. 2011 to April 2017, Singas said. Iuzzolino, who was a bookkeeper for St. Mary’s, digitally paid for personal credit cards and created electronic check vouchers using the church’s bank account, Singas said.

The district attorneys office expects her to be sentenced to six months in jail with five years of probation.

Iuzollino, of Merrick, must also pay back the full $183,203.64, $25,000 of which must be paid at her sentencing.

The restitution will go to the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which had reimbursed St. Mary’s for the stolen funds.

“She took responsibility for her actions,” said Iuzzolino’s attorney J. Caesar Galarza. “She was in a dark place and perhaps not thinking clearly. She got some help and she decided to own and take responsibility for her actions.”

As a bookkeeper, Iuzzolino prepared checks, maintained the church’s QuickBooks ledger, reviewed invoices and reconciled bank statements.

The defendant concealed her theft by erasing deposit and withdrawal entries in church records.

She used the money to pay a jeweler, automobile dealer, gun shops, toy stores and dental fees. She also spent it on computers, fast food and entertainment.

The church’s bank called St. Mary’s about a suspicious $5,000 check paid from its bank account in May 2017, which led to the discovery of Iuzzolino’s embezzlement.

She was then fired.

“This defendant was a trusted member of the St. Mary’s Church family, but abused that trust and stole more than $180,000 from church coffers,” Singas said. “Stealing from a house of worship is an especially contemptible act and I am grateful to St. Mary’s for their cooperation during this case.”

Iuzzolino is due for sentencing on April 29.