Embezzlement charges against a woman accused of stealing nearly $17,000 from a Little League organization have been dropped in Florida due to a jurisdictional issue, according to NorthEscambia.com, but they may be refiled in Alabama.
Paula Star Pugh was arrested in April and charged with grand theft and fraud. Authorities said the charges stemmed from transactions totaling $16,977.87 over a 17-month period between July 2021 and December 2022.
With the case dropped in Florida, Pugh is currently not charged with any crime.
However, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office told NorthEscambia.com that all the investigative files and evidence on the case are being transferred to the Atmore Police Department in Alabama, as many of the transactions took place at a bank in Atmore.
Atmore police confirmed they will investigate the case.
Pugh had served as the treasurer/bookkeeper of the Northwest Escambia Little League from 2017 until last December, when league president John Maughon became suspicious and alerted law enforcement to the suspect theft.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, investigators obtained bookkeeping records and bank records which showed transactions reportedly made by Pugh from the league account held at First National Bank in Atmore. The transactions, unauthorized by the league’s board of directors, included ATM withdrawals, debit card purchases and checks cashed, according to the authorities.
The documents obtained by investigators show Pugh cashed checks from the league account for amounts ranging from $530 to $2,000. There were 25 separate ATM withdrawals, all but one completed at First National Bank in Atmore, ranging in amounts from $40 to $300, according to the sheriff’s office.
In all, there were 43 unauthorized transactions listed in the arrest report. None of the transactions cited in the arrest report had supporting receipts or other documentation, according to investigators.
Ad Choices