WELLBORN COMMUNITY CENTER TREASURER CHARGED WITH THEFT
(Brazos Co. Jail)
The longtime treasurer of the Wellborn Community Center and Cemetery has been arrested on a theft charge
64-year-old Mary Beth Hammock is charged with stealing nearly $95-thousand dollars from the non-profit.
Hammock was charged Thursday for misapplication of fiduciary property, as investigators claim she had been taking money from the non-profit and manipulating monthly financial reports since 2012.
Hammock resigned from the volunteer position this past spring, after board members found a $500 payment on an account the organization had not opened.
Records show 310 unauthorized transactions paid Hammock's credit card bills using money from cemetery plot sales and community center event rentals.
Board members and residents said they're shocked.
Hello? Our current state elected leaders have chosen to eliminate the state auditors as of 3 years ago. Setting a fine example. Pay attention citizens.
This is an all too common occurrence due to a failure to use good accounting practices, including audits. It happens over & over. It will happen again. Churches, Sports Organizations, etc., are sometimes victims of ‘sticky fingers’. Often suggestions to put in place good accounting practices are not made because someone might’ get their feelings hurt’. Years ago I was on a Sports Association board. (Harris County) After hearing gossip that I knew was not true (That $40,000 in profit was made in a candy fund raiser when we only had $25,000 worth of candy to sell.) There was outrage! Supposedly I was saying we had money missing! Supposedly I was suggesting that some/one of my fellow board members was a crook! All I was doing was attempting to stop rumors by suggesting we use good accounting practices, issue a financial statement to every parent at sign-up, and meet the IRS guidelines to assure we maintained tax exempt status. I thought I was going to get lynched! A man rose, identifies himself as a CPA and the step father of a kid in the program. He offered to do the accounting work for free. The board made the requested changes, reluctantly. We had an election later in the evening. One person, a member of an underboard, ran against me. She won, by 1 vote. Things ran along fine until the CPA and his family moved. By this time she was President of the ‘Big Board’. She threw out the accounting practices & statements. A year later thousands were missing. She ended up charged. She worked a plea deal requiring repayment of the missing funds. I was shocked! I thought she was honest. I felt the entire board was honest. All this could have been avoided had not the board looked upon this as a personal affront and if the proper accounting practices had been kept in place. If you are ever on any board, do NOT feel a suggestion to put in place good accounting practices is in any way a suggestion that you and/or your fellow board members are dishonest, It is common sense. The IRA demands it for tax exempt organizations. In fact, I would suggest that you demand such oversight be in place if you are to serve.
How could the Board have prevented losing money & being part of sending this woman to prison? An Audit.
Maybe just someone who had a little training who would have spotted the false financial statements awhile back.
Why be shocked when there was no check and balance system established.