Carrollton Police have arrested and charged the former executive director of the non-profit Carroll County Court Appointed Special Advocates — with theft by taking – and allege that she stole at least 7-thousand dollars from her former employer.
Carrollton Police Investigator Brandon Wilson told WLBB Radio that this investigation began after the non-profit’s chairman notified police about concerns she had with the company’s expenses. During the investigation, Wilson says police found extra pay checks had been issued to Staci Lee Cook; and, a number of Venmo transactions showing funds being transferred from the CASA account into Staci’s personal Venmo account – and then into Staci’s personal bank account.
Wilson says investigators have not determined how the money was spent at this time; and they have no information to suggest that there was anyone else involved.
Cook had been an employee with CASA since September of 2018 according to her LinkedIn page. Prior to that she worked for the Carroll County Juvenile Wellness Court.
Cook was released from the Carroll County Jail after meeting a bond of $5,000.
Chair of the Casa Board Of Directors For Carroll County, Dr. Kylie Carroll told WLBB Radio that Cook is no longer an employee of Carroll County CASA – and added: “… as a board, we are focused on positively moving forward according to the purpose of the organization. We have great confidence in the leadership of our newly appointed executive director and are committed to serving the foster children within our community.”
Cook’s arrest comes six months after the former executive director of the Carroll County Mental Health Advocates plead guilty to two charges of theft by taking after she was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her non-profit employer over at least a two-year period.
