A woman in Calloway County, Ky., was arrested Tuesday on theft charges for failing to turn over money she collected for a Special Olympics event that is held each year in the area. According to local television station KFVS-12, Kentucky State Police charged 28-year-old Kayla Belcher after a five-month investigation.
Authorities say Belcher collected donations for the Special Olympics event while working at a local restaurant but never turned the money in to the organization. It is unclear if she ever had any intention of turning over the money. The news report stated that the Kentucky State Police received a tip this past March that Belcher was deceiving people into believing they were donating through her to the Western Kentucky Special Olympics Polar Plunge, collecting around $200 from various people.
Such deception only adds to frustration that many nonprofit and charity organizations feel when trying to raise funds for programs, especially in a flagging economy. The Federal Trade Commission offers tips on how to avoid fraud to anyone who is solicited for donations to a charity organization.
Per the FTC, an important tip to remember if you are asked for a donation to an organization -- whether in person or by phone -- you should always ask for the charity's name, address and phone number and ask to see printed information from the group.
One specific action the FTC warns should raise a red flag when it comes to donation solicitations: requests for cash. If someone approaches you and will not accept a check made out directly to the charity, you should be leery of donating. In the case of the Kentucky woman, reports stated that she raised money while she worked at a local restaurant, and it is likely most of those donations were cash. Asking for a receipt should also be a normal aspect of making a donation to charity; it is not unreasonable to expect such a request to be honored without hassle.
Belcher was charged by Kentucky State Police Monday with "theft by failure to make required disposition of property." She is currently being held at the Marshall County Jail. She was already in custody at the jail for previous parole violations when this new charge was filed.
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