Ex-Nonprofit Head Sentenced In Theft Case

The ex-head of an Olympia, Wash., nonprofit was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from the organization over three years.

Jacalyn Tobosa, who was appointed executive director of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation in 2007, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of second-degree theft. According to a report in The Olympian, the missing money was discovered when John Freedman, who was hired as an administrator for the foundation in 2008, discovered that multiple checks issued by Tobosa to her son’s landscaping business, which she hired to maintain Tumwater Falls Park. The checks were not supported by invoices in organizational financial records.

A subsequent audit revealed that Tobosa embezzled nearly $100,000 from the foundation between 2008 and 2011. She was fired in June 2011 and Tumwater Police Department began its investigation of the matter shortly thereafter.

In a written statement issued to The Olympian, Freedman noted that Tobosa’s theft had not affected the foundation's level of charitable work. Founded in 1950, the organization provides scholarships to local students, and manages Tumwater Falls Park and the Schmidt House.

Tobosa’s daughter, Kimberly Spada, is facing one charge of first-degree theft for allegedly stealing more than $5,000 from the foundation between June 2010 and May 2011. Spada had been hired by her mother to do bookkeeping in February 2011. She failed to show up for her arraignment on Sept. 11, and there is currently a warrant out for her arrest.

You can read the full story in The Olympian.