A 44-year-old Monroe woman has been arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $13,000 from the Park Place Middle School Parent, Teacher, Student Association.
Monroe Police allege Jeannine Hall, the former treasurer for the PTSA that disbanded last June, withdrew money from the group's account for gambling and personal expenses.
A two-month investigation into the theft began when a new PTSA board formed in October and requested Hall provide financial records. After Hall allegedly continued to make excuses as to why she couldn't find them, the group went to the bank to get past statements, according to a Monroe Police news release. The PTSA would find out that the account had been changed, making Hall was named as the sole signer, and that a debit card had been issued.
The Monroe Police Department became involved on Nov. 11, when multiple unaccounted for ATM withdrawals were reported using the PTSA bank account. According to police, the first was for $700 from a bank in Snohomish on May 12, 2014, a few days after the account was modified to sole signer. There were five withdrawals in May 2014, totaling $2,500.
Police report 31 cash withdrawals of $200-$700 were recorded from May 2014 to August 2015, amounting to $13,226.57. Nine were from an ATM at Quil Ceda Creek Casino in Tulalip.
The Monroe Police Department reports Hall admitted to taking the money when confronted and was arrested Thursday and booked into the Snohomish County Jail on first-degree felony theft charges. The release states Hall told investigators she did not realize the sum she had actually stolen, but had tried to pay back some of the money to the account.
Upon first hearing of the allegation in the fall, Monroe Public Schools cooperated with the new PTSA and law enforcement during the investigation, according to an email from district communication director Rosemary O'Neil.
Hall has been an employee of the school district as a paraeducator since 2001, providing learning support and some after-school student supervision. She has also served as a coach for the district.
O'Neill states Hall is currently on emergency leave, adding no allegations have been made regarding theft of funds from the district. The PTSA is a separate legal entity.
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