Clarion Woman Accused of Stealing Over $33K from Booster Club Due in Court Today

EYT Media

EYT Media

Published January 24, 2023 5:36 am
Image

CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — A hearing for a Clarion woman accused of stealing over $33,000.00 from a booster club at Clarion Area School District is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

(Photo by Dave Cyphert / ProPoint Media Photography.)

According to court documents, a preliminary hearing for 38-year-old Nikki Jo Naser, of Clarion, is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, at 1:15 p.m. with Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn presiding.

Naser faces the following charges:

– Theft By Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, Felony 3
– Theft By Deception – Prevent Acquisition of Information, Felony 3
– Receiving Stolen Property, Felony 3
– Other Reason Access Device is Unauthorized By Issuer, Felony 3

She is currently free on $25,000.00 unsecured bail.

The charges against Naser stem from an investigation initiated on December 15, 2022, by the Clarion Borough Police Department.

Details of the case:

A detective of the Clarion Borough Police Department met at the station with representatives of a known booster club at Clarion Area School District located at 219 Liberty Street, in Clarion Borough, around 11:00 a.m., on December 15, 2022.

According to a criminal complaint, the representatives reported that the non-profit organization (NPO) recently hosted a banquet that was catered. The check that the caterer was paid with came back from the bank for Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF). A known representative provided police with meeting minutes from the November 16, 2022 meeting in which the NPO Treasurer Nikki Jo Naser reported at this meeting that there was $31,508.12 in the known NPO’s bank account. A known representative then provided police with screenshots of Facebook Messenger messages between the caterer and Naser. The caterer contacted Naser advising her that the check written had been returned for NSF. Naser apologized to the caterer and told her that she would leave work to take the funds to the caterer’s bank to make this right.

According to the complaint, the Clarion Borough detective then met with the two representatives of the NPO and the operations officer at their bank. The operations officer explained that the NPO’s account had been opened on August 16, 2021. The operations officer relayed that Naser is the only individual who has ever had a debit card for the account. Naser was initially issued a debit card, and she contacted the bank on February 24, 2022, and advised that this card had been compromised. That card was terminated, and Naser was issued another debit card. The bank took over new ownership in August 2022, and Naser was provided with a new debit card. The operations officer relayed that she would send the detective an encrypted email containing the NPO’s bank records.

On December 15, 2022, around 1:00 p.m., the detective received the encrypted email from the operations officer. The email contained the bank records for the NPO’s account from the date it was opened on August 16, 2021, until December 15, 2022. The officer itemized the records and determined that there were several ATM purchases/debits which included Walmart, Sheetz, Autozone, Country Fair, Dollar General, Dance Makers Inc., Wyndham, PA American Water, USPS, 24 Seven Dance, Door Dash (Chipotle), Q Nails & Spa, Verizon Wireless, Once Upon a Child, McDonald’s, Old Navy, Venmo, Taco Bell, University Korner, 340-WEB, Comcast, and several large cash withdrawals, according to the complaint.

These transactions began to appear on August 26, 2021, and continued until December 12, 2022, the complaint notes.

On December 19, 2022, the detective made contact with Naser by phone and requested she come to the Clarion Borough Police Department for an interview. Naser was read her Miranda Rights at 12:14 p.m. on December 19, in the presence of a Clarion Borough Police officer. Naser signed the form and agreed to speak to the detective, the complaint states.

The complaint indicates that the detective asked Naser if she knew why he asked her to be interviewed, and she reportedly disclosed that she had taken money from the NPO to pay for personal items.

The detective went down through the above-mentioned transactions, and Naser reportedly acknowledged that she is the person who made these transactions. She relayed that she did not keep any receipts and would attempt to get them. She advised that all of the ATM debits were to pay for her daughter’s dance and to pay the mortgage on her house. Naser also disclosed that she paid for her daughter’s dance directly from the debit card, as well, according to the complaint.

Naser also reportedly advised that she would take cash out and then go to Walmart to get money orders. Naser acknowledged that she used the NPO’s debit card to pay for a Wyndham Hotel room in Pittsburgh. Naser relayed that she was behind on her water bill, Verizon Wireless bill, and Comcast bill so she used Venmo and relayed that she deleted it a couple of months ago. Naser also advised that she did use the debit card to get her nails done, the complaint states.

The detective advised Naser that there was a substantial amount of money missing from the account. Naser reportedly agreed that she took a substantial amount, but she did not keep track of how much she took. Naser then advised that she was going to attempt to come up with the money to pay back the NPO, the complaint indicates.

The complaint notes that Naser then completed a written statement.

The detective contacted Walmart and was provided with surveillance of Naser using the NPO’s card, the complaint indicates.

The detective again went through the transactions, and the total amount of money missing from the NPO’s account is $33,005.60, according to the complaint.

Naser was arraigned in front of Judge Quinn at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 28.

Recent Articles

Community Partner