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Charges to be filed against alleged booster club thief
Parents hurt more that Beggs stole from kids rather than she stole.
By Audrie Palmer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
GREENWOOD -- The case against the Greenwood mother who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the high school football booster club will be sent over to the Midland County District Attorney’s office later this week, authorities said.
Melinda Ann Beggs, 35, of Midland was arrested Monday on a state-jail felony charge of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. She posted the bond of $7,500 and was released from Midland County Jail around 4:40 p.m. Monday.
According to Midland County Sheriff’s Office investigator Ray Weatherby, members of the Greenwood High football booster club found bank statements and presented them to law enforcement earlier this month.
Beggs was allegedly writing checks from the booster club account for cash at the Community National Bank.
Weatherby said the total amount that she had taken from the club since she took office last December was $6,321.58.
“She was willing to reimburse them right now, but they wanted to file charges,” he told the Reporter-Telegram.
The amount that she took is about 25 percent -- or one-fourth -- of the booster club’s funds, President Paul Edwards said.
Edwards, who is serving in his first year as booster club president, said the money is raised through donations and fundraisers throughout the year.
Over the years, the club has bought a new scoreboard and jerseys for the athletic department. Recently, the club purchased -- a helmet and tunnel -- for the team to run through at the beginning of a game or during half-time.
Sometimes, he added, the money also goes to help for the sponsor of charter buses for out-of-town activities.
Every year, the booster club sponsors a kick-off supper and live auction to help raise funds. Last year, they auctioned off a football helmet signed by the varsity team and several donated Blackberry cell phones.
The booster club also raises funds through the selling of T-shirts and hats, as well as from ads sold in the program media guide and donations from parents and local residents.
Edwards, a father of two whose oldest graduated in 2005 and youngest is now a junior, said that the money is always raised to go 100 percent to the students.
“Financially, the booster club will recover and we’ll be fine. Emotionally, it hurts because we’re all close to the kids,” he said. “She didn’t steal from us; we feel like she stole from our kids.”
Audrie Palmer can be reached at palmer@mrt.com.
Melinda Ann Beggs, 35, of Midland was arrested Monday on a state-jail felony charge of theft between $1,500 and $20,000. She posted the bond of $7,500 and was released from Midland County Jail around 4:40 p.m. Monday.
According to Midland County Sheriff’s Office investigator Ray Weatherby, members of the Greenwood High football booster club found bank statements and presented them to law enforcement earlier this month.
Beggs was allegedly writing checks from the booster club account for cash at the Community National Bank.
Weatherby said the total amount that she had taken from the club since she took office last December was $6,321.58.
“She was willing to reimburse them right now, but they wanted to file charges,” he told the Reporter-Telegram.
The amount that she took is about 25 percent -- or one-fourth -- of the booster club’s funds, President Paul Edwards said.
Edwards, who is serving in his first year as booster club president, said the money is raised through donations and fundraisers throughout the year.
Over the years, the club has bought a new scoreboard and jerseys for the athletic department. Recently, the club purchased -- a helmet and tunnel -- for the team to run through at the beginning of a game or during half-time.
Sometimes, he added, the money also goes to help for the sponsor of charter buses for out-of-town activities.
Every year, the booster club sponsors a kick-off supper and live auction to help raise funds. Last year, they auctioned off a football helmet signed by the varsity team and several donated Blackberry cell phones.
The booster club also raises funds through the selling of T-shirts and hats, as well as from ads sold in the program media guide and donations from parents and local residents.
Edwards, a father of two whose oldest graduated in 2005 and youngest is now a junior, said that the money is always raised to go 100 percent to the students.
“Financially, the booster club will recover and we’ll be fine. Emotionally, it hurts because we’re all close to the kids,” he said. “She didn’t steal from us; we feel like she stole from our kids.”
Audrie Palmer can be reached at palmer@mrt.com.
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