Midlands woman stole thousands from parent-teacher group for herself, SLED says
A Midlands woman was arrested and accused of stealing thousands from an elementary school’s parent-teacher group, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said Tuesday.
Jessica Nichols Madray served at the treasurer for the Gallman Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization and used her position to forge checks for her personal use, arrest warrants show.
The 50-year-old Newberry resident was charged with breach of trust and forgery, SLED said in a news release.
The crimes occurred between September 2019 and February 2020, according to the arrest warrants.
As the treasurer, Madray was entrusted with management and disbursement of the group’s money. She accessed and wrote checks to herself, arrest warrants say.
Madray forged the signatures of the parent-teacher group’s president and vice president to write and pass off 11 checks as legitimate, according to the arrest warrants.
Madray received $5,302.41 from the fraudulent checks that she made payable to herself and cashed at banks in Newberry County, arrest warrants say.
There was no word what Madray did with the money, or what it was spent on.
Information on how the scam was uncovered was not available, but the Newberry Police Department asked SLED to lead the investigation.
Madray was taken to the the Newberry County Detention Center, and her case will be prosecuted by the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to the release.
If convicted on the felony breach of trust charge and the felony forgery charge, Madray faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count, according to South Carolina law.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Midlands woman stole thousands from parent-teacher group for herself, SLED says."
