KENMORE, N.Y. — A Kenmore woman is facing charges after being accused of stealing money from high school volleyball fundraisers.
Kerri Brown, 42, was indicted Thursday afternoon in State Supreme Court on one third-degree felony count of grand larceny.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office accused Brown of stealing roughly $12,000 from the Kenmore West girls volleyball booster club over a two-year period, from July of 2018 to June of 2020. She had served as the treasurer of the organization.
An investigation was launched after the booster club had "insufficient funds to purchase a pizza for the high school student-athletes." The Erie County District Attorney's Office alleges that she "pocketed cash from various fundraisers."
Brown was released; the charge doesn't qualify for bail. A future court date has not been set yet.
Brown faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The Ken-Ton School District issued a statement on Friday:
The Ken-Ton School District is aware of the arrest of an individual accused of stealing funds from a Kenmore West booster club. While the money alleged to have been stolen was not controlled by the District, and the individual named is not a District employee, the District will cooperate with law enforcement with its investigation.
To best protect our taxpayers, booster clubs operate independently of the District. The District is not in any way involved in booster club finances, and booster clubs are in no way involved in the expenditure of school district funds.
The Ken-Ton School District operates at all times with the highest possible degree of accountability, transparency and fiscal responsibility. Thorough and extensive accounting procedures are in place to safeguard school district funding. At no time would district funds be able to be appropriated without following all laws, regulations, and applicable accounting standards.
