Girl Scout Leader Steals Troop's Money

[fbrdphreak]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060802/D8J86G080.html

DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) - A Girl Scout leader has been charged with stealing $5,000 raised by a central Ohio troop through cookie sales and other fundraisers.

Teresa Wickline, 42, of Lewis Center, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on a felony theft charge. Prosecutors accuse her of raiding the checking account of Troop 225 to pay for cell phone bills and other personal expenses.

She could spend up to 18 months in prison and be ordered to pay back the money if convicted.

"Five thousand dollars is a lot of Thin Mints," Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost said. "The only reason she had access to these funds is because people trusted her."

Parents noticed the troop had only $8 in the bank in January and alerted the Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council. Police became involved after checks written from the troop account bounced.

Girl Scout volunteers receive training on handling fundraisers and money, said Shawna Gibbs, council spokeswoman.

Troop 225 now has a new leader, Gibbs said.

What a disgusting low life :roll: If you're going to get thrown in jail, it better be over a lot more than $5K.

 

[yhelothar]

dumbass girl who couldn't do it without making it so blatantly obvious.

 

[SonnyDaze]

 

[Ika]

that's the way to do it, baby!

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060802/D8J86G080.html

DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) - A Girl Scout leader has been charged with stealing $5,000 raised by a central Ohio troop through cookie sales and other fundraisers.

Teresa Wickline, 42, of Lewis Center, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on a felony theft charge. Prosecutors accuse her of raiding the checking account of Troop 225 to pay for cell phone bills and other personal expenses.

She could spend up to 18 months in prison and be ordered to pay back the money if convicted.

"Five thousand dollars is a lot of Thin Mints," Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost said. "The only reason she had access to these funds is because people trusted her."

Parents noticed the troop had only $8 in the bank in January and alerted the Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council. Police became involved after checks written from the troop account bounced.

Girl Scout volunteers receive training on handling fundraisers and money, said Shawna Gibbs, council spokeswoman.

Troop 225 now has a new leader, Gibbs said.

What a disgusting low life :roll: If you're going to get thrown in jail, it better be over a lot more than $5K.

Stealing is stealing. And the punishment fits the crime. 18 months is the maximum sentence. She will probably have to pay back the money and get Probation with Community Service.

 

[2Dead]

she should have took the money and went to vegas - all or nothing.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: DaShen
Stealing is stealing. And the punishment fits the crime. 18 months is the maximum sentence. She will probably have to pay back the money and get Probation with Community Service.

Oh, I agree, that's a perfectly reasonable punishment. It just boggles my mind how someone can work with these kids, watch them work so hard selling those damn addicting cookies, and then snatch the money away.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: DaShen
Stealing is stealing. And the punishment fits the crime. 18 months is the maximum sentence. She will probably have to pay back the money and get Probation with Community Service.

Oh, I agree, that's a perfectly reasonable punishment. It just boggles my mind how someone can work with these kids, watch them work so hard selling those damn addicting cookies, and then snatch the money away.

She was just giving them a lesson on corporate finances for the future.

 

[LurkerSince2001]

This happens a lot more than you think - when i was a GS leader, our cookie sale was from January to March. They always made it so that the final payments were due BEFORE Sprint break - way too many people would "borrow" that money for a vacation, then somehow were unable to pay it back.

In my own troop, for 3 years in a row the cookie money compared to the number of cookies sold never added up - not even close. One year was $600 off, another was $200. I finally quit assigning a Cookie Coordinator and just did it myself. There was never anything to prove - when you have lots of little kids handling the money at a very busy booth - what can you say?

By the way - if you have kids in a troop, I can tell you that the most profitable way to sell those cookies that I have seen is to find a day when the kids are off school (President's Day) and set up a booth in the lobby of a high-rise office building during the lunchtime hours. Hundreds of boxes in 2 hours.

 

[Miramonti]

This is your mind on drugs.

 

[NatePo717]

I wish I had $5,000 worth of thin mints

 

[AMCRambler]

That's pretty messed up. You've got to be pretty low to steal from the girl scouts. She's not going to see much clemency from that judge.