P.T.O. = Profit Takes Over

Embezzlement is embezzlement. Sometimes it's on a large scale, like Madoff. But the small scale is just as damaging, as this police report from San Jacinto, California shows:

In April 2009, the Principal of DeAnza Elementary School, in San Jacinto, reported to their School Resource Officer that the PTO (parent-teacher organization) had discovered several accounting discrepancies, specifically unauthorized debits made to the PTO’s bank account.

San Jacinto Investigators assumed the investigation, and discovered PTO president Amy Hoffarth had used her PTO check card to make numerous personal purchases, including groceries, gasoline, jewelry, music CDs, and cash ATM withdrawals, amounting to over $800 in stolen funds.

Investigators are submitting the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution of Hoffarth, a 34-year-old San Jacinto resident. The San Jacinto Police Department regards any misuse or embezzlement of public funds to be a serious offense, and will vigorously investigate these crimes. Persons placed in positions of trust in the community shall be held accountable for their actions.