It Is Everywhere: Girl Scout Troop Fraud

by Gary Snyder

A sampling of Girl Scout troop embezzlement:

• A former top official for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles pleaded guilty to embezzling $370,000, one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.

• Former finance director of the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York has been charged with stealing $310,000 from the nonprofit organization 

• The Girl Scouts of Orange County reported an embezzlement of more than $100,000 through large checks. The Girl Scouts of Orange County, based in Irvine, has a budget of more than $8 million annually.

• A Lansdale (PA) woman who led Cub Scout and Girl Scout of America of Eastern Pennsylvania while leader of Troop 7343. The troop is based in Upper Providence and the leader faces charges she has “stolen from children,” to the tune of more than $10,000.

• A Rhode Island man is charged with stealing the cash box from a group of Cub Scouts

• A former Cubmaster of Pack 762 was arrested and accused of stealing more than $5000 from her own pack in Elkhart, Ind.

• Cooley Elementary School (MI) Cub Scout Pack 182 was a victim of a $6000 theft 

• An assistant to the troop used a debit card of Eagle Cub Scout Pack 54 (WI) for personal use. 

• Two former troop leaders were indicted on charges they embezzled from the Black Diamond Council (WV) Girl Scouts and used the money for a personal vacation.

• The Girl Scout CEO and onetime forensic science director pleaded guilty to embezzlements that totaled $22,979.80 from the 12,000-Scout strong Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia

• A former treasurer embezzled up to $11,000 from Troop 80 near Bakersfield CA.

• A grand jury in Accomack County indicted a woman on one count of embezzling from three scout organizations---Girl Scout Troop 393, Grace United Methodist Church Boy Scout Troop 303 and Grace United Methodist Church Cub Scout Pack 300.

• A Girl Scout leader was arrested for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from a local troop, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio (CA), Moreno Valley Girl Scout troop

• Girl Scouts Troop No. 3334 in Fort Morgan pleaded guilty to embezzlement. Her own daughter belonged to the troop. Membership went from 45 to 14 after the theft.

• A former volunteer bookkeeper for the Girl Scouts troops in Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe (CA) pleaded guilty.

• A Cub Scout mother is charged with embezzling from Cub Scout Pack 138 in Lapeer, MI. She is said to be second person involved in the embezzlement. The prosecutor noted bank records for the pack only go back to 2009, but a second suspect was involved with the group for 23 years.

• The troop's leader is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the Girl Scout Troop on Moore, OK.

• Five-year leader is accused of stealing $18,000 from Troop 2162 in Englewood (OH). She used the money take vacations and to pay personal bills.

• A troop leader from the Girl Scouts of Rutherford County (TN) was charged with stealing $30,000 from the organization.

• A former leader of the Douglasville, Ga., Girl Scout Troop 798, allegedly stole nearly $10,000 from the troop. She was treasurer of the Troop.

• An employee of the Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council is charged with embezzling $14,000. FBI agents arrested him.

There are many more examples of lack of internal controls and poor oversight. I decided to stop because the point is well made.

Nonprofit Imperative gathers its information principally from public documents...some of which are directly quoted. Virtually all cited are in some phase of criminal proceedings; some have not been charged, however. Cites in various media: Featured in print, broadcast, and online media outlets, including: Charity Navigator, Vermont Public Radio, Miami Herald, National Public Radio (NPR), Huffington Post, The Sun News, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Wall Street Journal (Profile, News and Photos), “Betrayal”, (a movie), NBC (on Charity Fraud…TBD), FOX2, ABC Spotlight on the News, WWJ Radio, Marie Claire, Ethics World, Aspen Philanthropy Newsletter, Harvard Business Review, Current Affairs, Charity Navigator, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, St. Petersburg Times, Board Room Insider, USA Today Topics, Accountants News, Newsweek.com, Responsive Philanthropy Magazine, New York Times, Portfolio Magazine, The Virgin Islands Daily News, NANKAI (China) BUSINESS REVIEW, National Religious Broadcasters newsletter, The Charity Governance Blog, American Chronicle, Palm Beach Post, Detroit Free Press, Oakland Press, Nonprofit World, Socially Responsible Business Forum, PNNOnline, Ohio Nonprofit Resources, Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, Nonprofit Startup Guide, Nonprofit Blog, National Coalition of Homeless Newsletter, Finance and Administration Roundtable Newsletter, MichiganNonprofit.com, CORP! Magazine, Crain’s Michigan Nonprofit, ncrp.org, PhilanTopic, Nashville Free Press, Nonprofit Law Blog, Seniors World Chronicle, Carnegie Reporter, Assoc. of Certified Fraud Examiners Examiner, msnbc.com, Worchester (MA) Telegram and Gazette, Carnegie Corporation of America, EO Tax Journal, Wikipedia: Non-profit Organizations; Parent: Wise Austin, Accountants News, Veterans Today, Answers.com, Far-roundtable, #Nonprofit Report, nonprofithelpnews, nonprofit news; National Enquirer, Northwest Herald, The HelpWise Daily, The #Nonprofit Report, Wikipedia (Nonprofit Organization), Answers.com, Nonprofits: On the Brink (2006) Silence: The Impending Threat to the Charitable Sector (2011)