A Pine woman who stole $11,000 from an Evergreen Cub Scout troop was sentenced to 15 months probation and four weekends in jail today by a judge who said that although she repaid the money the jail experience was appropriate.
The woman, Lisa Marie Williams, 39, became the treasurer of Evergreen Cub Scout Pack No. 39 early in the summer of 2008.
Between August and December 2008, Williams wrote 22 checks to her husband and herself and a company called Williams Investments, according to prosecutors.
Each check was in the amount of $500, for a total of $11,000.
Williams pleaded guilty to attempted theft, a class five felony, on Sept. 17.
Cubmaster Jeff Patton and a Cub Scout testified today that the pack’s income came almost exclusively from selling popcorn. The income was used to pay for uniforms, achievement books, patches, activities and summer camp for the the first through fifth graders.
Jefferson County District Judge Chris Munch said that although Williams had no prior criminal history and she had repaid the money, a jail sentence was necessary to send a message to the community that when you do something like this you go to jail, according to Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County district attorney’s office.
Munch said that a sentence without jail would depreciate the seriousness of the crime.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
