Nicole Leone is going to be arraigned on Wednesday on criminal charges. She quit her job as executive head of the Erie Humane Society in November after nine years.
The Millcreek Township Police Department filed all three charges because they say Leone used two Erie Humane Society credit cards to make 139 charges that were not approved and added up to $23,582.27 in total.
The lawsuit says that the charges were made without permission between June 22, 2023, and November 12, 2018.
Leone is going to be arraigned by District Judge Jeff Gadley at 1:30 p.m. He is being charged with access device fraud, theft by trickery, and changing records. Forgery of records is a misdemeanor, but two of the charges are third-degree crimes.
The purchase of two bicycles led to a review.
Millcreek Detective Adam Hardner wrote in the affidavit of probable cause that he talked with the Erie Humane Society on November 25, which was about two weeks after Leone had left the group.
Gardner said that a review within the company suggested Leone had been using the company’s credit cards for her own purposes.
A buy of $2,029.48 from a nearby bike shop was one of the most recent charges.
He said, “The purchase was supposed to be for one bicycle to be raffled off as part of a Humane Society fundraiser.”
When the treasurer of the Humane Society went to the bike shop, she saw that two bikes had been bought, one of which was for the giveaway.
The other bike that was bought for $1,346.18 looked like a bike that Leone had posted about on his personal social media account.
Hardner said that the Humane Society’s study found that charges were made every month for a wide range of things, such as clothes, sunglasses, household items, and hotel stays.
A statement of probable cause from Hardner said that Leone put all of the purchases on a spreadsheet and coded them so that they would look like normal business costs.
Leone said that quitting was a choice.
Leone, who is 41 years old, told the Erie Times-News in November that she was quitting her job.
“This is up to you. The player said, “I am looking for other opportunities.” “The time is not right for me to talk about these chances.” A lot of people are tired of being compassionate. It’s time for me to move on after almost 10 years.
Since Leone left, Emily McCullor and Rob Lewis, who have both worked for the Humane Society for a long time, have been acting as co-executive directors.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Erie Humane Society revealed that criminal charges had been pursued by the board of directors.
The board said the choice was made after an internal review.
Genna Druzak, president of the board of directors, said in a statement, “It is our duty as the board of directors to make sure the organization follows all legal and moral standards, including making good use of its resources, funds, and donations.
