Former Kalamazoo Strong Director Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement
A plea deal has now been made with the former director of a charity created after the Kalamazoo mass shooting, after she stole thousands of dollars from the organization.
The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that 34-year-old Rachel Kaiser pleaded guilty Monday to one count of using a computer to commit a crime. Kaiser had been made director of Kalamazoo Strong shortly after its founding in the spring of 2016, and the initial goal of the foundation was to raise money to help the victims of the Kalamazoo mass shooting recover.
However, Kaiser reportedly stole more than $4,000 from Kalamazoo Strong, and used it for things like jewelry and department store purchases. An investigation was started after the foundation’s treasurer noticed unusual transactions on their account, which led to the discovery that Kaiser had created an unauthorized debit card connected to the account.
Under the plea deal, Kaiser may avoid jail time; the prosecutor’s office is expected to only recommend she pay restitution of no more than $5,000.