A south Alabama woman is accused of stealing nearly $10,000 from a youth sports league.
Jessica Harper, 34, is charged with first-degree theft and third-degree forgery, Slocomb police announced Wednesday.
An investigation was launched Jan. 6 into the possibility of inappropriate use of funds within the Slocomb Dixie Youth Baseball League. The program is a non-profit organization that relies solely on donations and team sponsorship for funding.
Investigators determined that the debit card belonging to the youth league’s bank account was used numerous times outside of youth baseball purchases, police said. Additionally, checks from the league had been written and deposited into a personal bank account.
It was also determined, authorities said, that some checks written by Harper were forged with the signature of another board member of the Slocomb Dixie Youth Baseball League’s signature. Authorities have not disclosed Harper’s affiliation with the organization.
Subpoenas were obtained from the Geneva County District Attorney’s Office and served to several banking institutions where recent transactions had taken place. Video footage showed Harper carrying out the illegal transactions, police said.
The amount of money stolen from the league was $9,652.35. Court records for Harper did not list an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
Harper was jailed on Jan. 6 with bonds totaling $35,000. The case is set to be presented to a Geneva County grand jury in April for indictment consideration.