Nonprofit manager stole $766K because she was ‘addicted’ to theft, Florida cops say
A manager at a nonprofit in Florida is facing fraud charges after an investigation found she had written more than $766,000 worth of fraudulent checks to herself, police said.
The Ocala Police Department said it got a call on April 24 from Silver River Mentoring and Instruction regarding a possible organized fraud case involving the nonprofit’s business manager.
Silver River Mentoring and Instruction supports youth who have “encountered problems in the public school setting,” according to its website.
The woman reportedly told the organization during a financial audit meeting that she had been writing herself extra fraudulent paychecks since 2016, police said in a news release.
“(She) reportedly stated that she stole money from the company because she became addicted to it,” police said.
The investigation revealed that the manager had stolen more than $766,000 and written herself 137 fraudulent checks that were either additional checks or checks that included money added onto her regular wages, police said.
She turned herself in to the Marion County Jail on May 2 and faces a charge of felony organized fraud, according to police.
Ocala is about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Nonprofit manager stole $766K because she was ‘addicted’ to theft, Florida cops say."
