Woman Steals $498K From HOA for Vacation and Bonuses: Investigators

An Alabama female has been accused of stealing virtually $500,000 from a Ga property owners association (HOA) wherever she had been home manager.

The Ga Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said the girl, 66-calendar year-outdated Shirley Brown of Eastaboga, Calhoun County, had been doing the job as home manager for the Mirror Lakes Owners Association in Villa Rica, Georgia, since 2014.

Villa Rica is found 35 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

As component of her role, she had obtain to the householders association’s bank account, which she managed. She also experienced the electric power to accept the household association’s payments, spend expenses and make deposits.

According to the GBI, the woman did not get the staggering amount of money of cash out of the financial institution account in one particular go—but started stealing the residents’ funds yrs ago.

In February 2021, the association’s new governing board 1st seen that $189,000 was missing. In the exact same thirty day period, the GBI mentioned it was contacted by the Villa Rica Police Office and questioned to investigate.

After an official audit into the association’s finances, investigators identified that Brown experienced allegedly stolen $498,815 amongst January 2015 and January 2021. The GBI suggests that Brown wrote herself unauthorized checks proclaiming they ended up for bonuses and trip pay out.

She was arrested this week and charged with 1 depend of theft by having but has been unveiled from the Carroll County Jail, as confirmed to Newsweek by a spokesperson for the jail.

The GBI continues to investigate the scenario, and is inquiring any person with facts to get hold of the Villa Rica Police Office at (770) 459-5149 or the GBI Location 2 Discipline Business office at (706) 565-7888.

The moment the GBI investigation is entire, the situation will be handed in excess of to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office environment for prosecution.

​​The penalty of theft by using in Georgia can be both a misdemeanor, in instances in which the theft totals $500 or less, or a felony, if the price of what is actually stolen or cash taken is a lot more than that.

Whilst misdemeanor can result in a fine of no extra than $1000 and a jail sentence of no extra than 12 months, a felony is punished with a jail sentence of no considerably less than a person calendar year and no additional than ten yrs.

Brown’s alleged theft is getting handled as a felony.

Newsweek has arrived at out to the GBI and the Mirror Lake Home owners Association for remark.