Club piggy banks tempt some
Economy, sloppy records blamed for rise in thefts from parent, booster organizations
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Kathy Lynn Gray
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
From Grandview to Gahanna, police are investigating thefts by PTA, PTO and booster organization officers ?— at least five in the past 18 months.
Gahanna police have a file as thick as two telephone books about the theft of $14,000 from the Goshen Lane Elementary PTA. They were supposed to turn it over to Franklin County prosecutors this week.
Lt. Jeff Spence said police think a PTA member took the money in a two-year span that ended in May.
The member has not been charged, but police have searched her home and confiscated documents.
Barbara Sprague, executive director of the Ohio PTA, said the number of thefts within such groups has increased in the past two years. She blames the faltering economy and the large amounts of money being raised.
''Sometimes, when people get their hands on that much money, it?’s very tempting,'' she said.
In Grandview Heights, police think a member skimmed $4,000 to $5,000 from the Stevenson Elementary School PTO in the past two years. The theft was reported on June 18.
Grandview Police Officer Doug Ruvenkoenig said police hope to persuade the suspect to return the money.
''Then we?’ll file some charges,'' he said. ''We?’re not sure exactly how much was taken because the bookkeeping is so sloppy.''
Ruvenkoenig said he found during his investigation that two similar thefts have occurred among Grandview PTOs in the past five years, but neither was reported to police.
That?’s a mistake, said Sgt. Steve Kelly, supervisor of the economic crime unit for Columbus police.
''If at least it?’s reported, then an agency could investigate it and maybe prosecute some of these folks,'' Kelly said. ''That could be a deterrent, to make it public.''
Usually, the thefts show up when officers in an organization change or the treasurer leaves abruptly, Kelly said.
''Then all of a sudden someone else is counting the money made in hot-dog sales and they don?’t line up and you say, ?‘Whoa, what?’s happened here??’ ''
Sprague said the Ohio PTA requires its school organizations to have their officers bonded, a form of insurance in case of theft. PTAs also must audit their books at the end of each school year and send a copy of the audit to the Ohio PTA.
Still, thefts happen.
?• In May, the former president of Buckeye Middle School PTA in Columbus was charged with stealing more than $6,000. Denise M. Harris pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in July, and is set for a pretrial on Tuesday.
Police allege that Harris, of the South Side, took the PTA money between Dec. 20, 2001, and June 3, 2002, when she was PTA president.
In a yearlong investigation, police found that money was missing from several PTA fundraisers.
Court records show that Harris has a record. She was charged with passing bad checks in 1997. In that case, she was sentenced to two years probation, fined $750 and had to repay $1,100 to National City Bank.
?• In July, Patricia Worthman of the West Side was convicted after pleading guilty to stealing $13,630 from the Prairie Norton Elementary School PTA. Prairie Norton is in in the South-Western School District.
?• Walter E. Davis, former treasurer of the Westerville North High School booster club, pleaded guilty in November to stealing nearly $40,000. He was ordered to repay the money within five years and perform 100 hours of community service or face 17 months in prison.
In Gahanna, school treasurer Julio Valladares has set up a workshop for officers of PTAs and other parent-volunteer groups.
''This incident at Goshen has been a wake-up call for all of them,'' Valladares said.
kgray@dispatch.com
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2003/09/20/20030920-B1-02.html
By Newspaper reader
Economy, sloppy records blamed for rise in thefts from parent, booster organizations
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Kathy Lynn Gray
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
From Grandview to Gahanna, police are investigating thefts by PTA, PTO and booster organization officers ?— at least five in the past 18 months.
Gahanna police have a file as thick as two telephone books about the theft of $14,000 from the Goshen Lane Elementary PTA. They were supposed to turn it over to Franklin County prosecutors this week.
Lt. Jeff Spence said police think a PTA member took the money in a two-year span that ended in May.
The member has not been charged, but police have searched her home and confiscated documents.
Barbara Sprague, executive director of the Ohio PTA, said the number of thefts within such groups has increased in the past two years. She blames the faltering economy and the large amounts of money being raised.
''Sometimes, when people get their hands on that much money, it?’s very tempting,'' she said.
In Grandview Heights, police think a member skimmed $4,000 to $5,000 from the Stevenson Elementary School PTO in the past two years. The theft was reported on June 18.
Grandview Police Officer Doug Ruvenkoenig said police hope to persuade the suspect to return the money.
''Then we?’ll file some charges,'' he said. ''We?’re not sure exactly how much was taken because the bookkeeping is so sloppy.''
Ruvenkoenig said he found during his investigation that two similar thefts have occurred among Grandview PTOs in the past five years, but neither was reported to police.
That?’s a mistake, said Sgt. Steve Kelly, supervisor of the economic crime unit for Columbus police.
''If at least it?’s reported, then an agency could investigate it and maybe prosecute some of these folks,'' Kelly said. ''That could be a deterrent, to make it public.''
Usually, the thefts show up when officers in an organization change or the treasurer leaves abruptly, Kelly said.
''Then all of a sudden someone else is counting the money made in hot-dog sales and they don?’t line up and you say, ?‘Whoa, what?’s happened here??’ ''
Sprague said the Ohio PTA requires its school organizations to have their officers bonded, a form of insurance in case of theft. PTAs also must audit their books at the end of each school year and send a copy of the audit to the Ohio PTA.
Still, thefts happen.
?• In May, the former president of Buckeye Middle School PTA in Columbus was charged with stealing more than $6,000. Denise M. Harris pleaded not guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in July, and is set for a pretrial on Tuesday.
Police allege that Harris, of the South Side, took the PTA money between Dec. 20, 2001, and June 3, 2002, when she was PTA president.
In a yearlong investigation, police found that money was missing from several PTA fundraisers.
Court records show that Harris has a record. She was charged with passing bad checks in 1997. In that case, she was sentenced to two years probation, fined $750 and had to repay $1,100 to National City Bank.
?• In July, Patricia Worthman of the West Side was convicted after pleading guilty to stealing $13,630 from the Prairie Norton Elementary School PTA. Prairie Norton is in in the South-Western School District.
?• Walter E. Davis, former treasurer of the Westerville North High School booster club, pleaded guilty in November to stealing nearly $40,000. He was ordered to repay the money within five years and perform 100 hours of community service or face 17 months in prison.
In Gahanna, school treasurer Julio Valladares has set up a workshop for officers of PTAs and other parent-volunteer groups.
''This incident at Goshen has been a wake-up call for all of them,'' Valladares said.
kgray@dispatch.com
http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2003/09/20/20030920-B1-02.html
By Newspaper reader
