Ex-Safe House director charged with theft, fraud

The former executive director of a Cape Girardeau women's shelter faces two felony charges after authorities say she misappropriated more than $20,000 for personal use.

Allison Leonard, 43, was charged last week with one count each of theft and fraudulent use of a credit device.

In a probable-cause statement filed Jan. 2 in connection with the case, Detective Jeff Lucas of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said the former director of Safe House for Women used the organization's Visa card for more than $20,000 in personal expenses, then paid for the charges with funds belonging to Safe House.

Between her appointment as executive director in November 2013 and her dismissal a year later, Leonard used Safe House's credit card to buy items for her own use at Kohl's, Academy Sports, Amazon, Walmart.com, Rhodes 101 and other businesses, Lucas wrote.

She also used the card to pay for insurance, cellphone bills, her son's tuition at Missouri Baptist University, car payments and vehicle taxes, Lucas wrote.

After Leonard was terminated from her

position at Safe House, staff members found credit-card statements with transactions and cash advances whited out and photocopies placed in a file for audit purposes, Lucas wrote.

"When the audit took place, the auditing firm found these statements with large sections missing and alerted a board member of the suspicious statements," Lucas wrote. "When Leonard was confronted, she admitted to two different board members that she had used the card and Safe House funds to pay for the transactions."

Rick Althaus, president of the organization's board of directors, issued a formal statement Tuesday on behalf of the organization.

"During the course of our organization's routine financial audit last November, the board of directors became aware that there appeared to have been improper use of a Safe House credit card by an employee and improper procedures used regarding payment of credit card bills," he said in a statement emailed to the Southeast Missourian. "The matter was referred to Cape PD. We have assisted where we could in the investigation of the matter, and the board is supportive of the bringing of criminal charges."

He said Safe House's financial analysts determined no grant monies or fundraising receipts were misappropriated, and the organization has taken steps to prevent similar problems in the future.

"Within the organization, we have made some staffing changes and some procedural changes to safeguard the financial resources of the Safe House, to maintain the confidence of our donors and financial partners, and to continue our important work of helping the community be safe from domestic violence," Althaus wrote.

Leonard had been with Safe House since 2003, serving as the not-for-profit organization's director of operations before being appointed executive director.

She previously had worked for the Department of Social Services.

Safe House provides a range of services to victims of domestic violence, including crisis intervention; emergency shelter; food and personal care items; counseling; support groups; court advocacy; case management; help developing safety plans; and items to help them set up new homes after leaving abusive partners.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

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Charges

Court documents show former executive director Allison Leonard is accused of running up more than $20,000 in charges on Safe House for Women's credit card, including:

* Esurance Insurance Co.: six payments totaling $1,327.23

* The General Insurance Co.: two payments totaling $847.10

* Sprint Wireless: four payments totaling $1,192.95

* Missouri Baptist University: $476 for her son's tuition

* San Tander Consumer: two car-loan payments totaling $1,021.90

* Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles: $2,261.48 for taxes on a 2013 Hyundai