Accounting Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Katrina Relief Funds
posted 4:02 pm Mon November 19, 2007 - Upper Marlboro, Md.
A former accounting employee pleaded guilty to stealing more than $78,000 worth of funds raised to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Latarsha Delaine entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay full restitution.
The 28-year-old Delaine used to work for the General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. The group has has nearly 1 million members worldwide and is associated with the Masons.
According to Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey, Delaine wrote checks payable to the Mississippi Grand Chapter for various amounts and recorded them in the check register, but made the checks payable to herself.
Hired by the General Grand Chapter to work in its accounting department in November 2005, Delaine resigned four months later in March 2006. Her fraudulent activity was not discovered until after her resignation in August 2006, during an annual audit. After the discovery she was asked about the money, but said she that received the checks as "severance pay."
According to Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey, Delaine wrote checks payable to the Mississippi Grand Chapter for various amounts and recorded them in the check register, but made the checks payable to herself.
Hired by the General Grand Chapter to work in its accounting department in November 2005, Delaine resigned four months later in March 2006. Her fraudulent activity was not discovered until after her resignation in August 2006, during an annual audit. After the discovery she was asked about the money, but said she that received the checks as "severance pay."
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