The treasurer of a local nonprofit organization was charged Wednesday with 20 felony counts for allegedly misusing money to pay off personal bills and fund vacations.
April L. Bryan, 40, of Lee’s Summit is charged with 19 counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit device and one count of stealing.
Court documents say Bryan was the treasurer at Furry Kids' Refuge, a nonprofit organization made up of foster homes for animals rescued from area shelters and other situations.
Board members notified police of the misuse of funds in April after they noticed an extremely low balance in the account. They told police Bryan was the sole member of the organization with the responsibility to manage the money in the account.
Detectives reviewed bank statements in the account and found that in the span of two years Bryan made 441 transactions amounting to over $55,000.
According to court documents, some of those transactions were made to fund personal vacations to Nebraska, Colorado, and Tennessee. Funds were also allegedly used to buy items for herself, her boyfriend, and her daughter’s volleyball team. Bryan also allegedly used the money to pay her personal bills.
Detectives later conducted a search warrant at Bryan’s home, where they recovered more than 60 items related to the bank statements. An additional 10 items were found in Bryan’s boyfriend’s possession.
In an interview with police, Bryan admitted to making the purchases from the nonprofit's bank card.
She said she borrowed the money and was going to pay it back without them knowing. Bryan said she believes she still owes them about $30,000.
A cash-only bond has been set for $15,000. If convicted, Bryan could face up to seven years in prison.
