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NWE Little League Treasurer Charged With Grand Theft, Fraud
April 18, 2023
The former treasurer of the Northwest Escambia Little League at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill is accused of fraud and theft of money from the organization.
Paula Star Pugh, 48, was charged with grand theft $10,000 to $20,000 and fraud under $20,000. Both charges are third degree felonies. She was released on a $2,500 bond 22 minutes after surrendering at the Escambia County Jail Monday night.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pugh was the elected treasurer/bookkeeper since 2017 for Northwest Escambia Little League with the alleged thefts taking place from July 26, 2021, until December 9, 2022.
“During this time Pugh wrote checks on NWE’s account which she cashed for personal use, completed unauthorized debit transactions for personal use, and completed numerous ATM withdrawals for personal use,” the ECSO investigator wrote in his report, noting that Pugh had no receipt or explanation for the transactions.
According to a warrant affidavit, the transactions included numerous cash ATM withdrawals from an Atmore bank; purchases from Shell Oil and Papa John’s Pizza in Tampa, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Home Goods Online; and eight checks payable to Cash that were signed by Pugh totaling $9,226. The transactions are detailed in the image below.
NWE first reported the misuse of funds to law enforcement on December 20, 2022, and an investigation was launched by the ECSO. Over the next several weeks, an ECSO investigator and ballpark officials examined the league’s financial records and built a ledger of transactions attributed to Pugh with no receipt or explanation, the report states. Deputies said the NWE board attempted at least twice to meet with Pugh and obtain receipts, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
The investigation also indicated that a ball tournament completed on June 13, 2022, yielded receipts/cash profit of $10,012.66. According to the warrant affidavit: Pugh sent a text message on June 13 that a deposit of $2,690 would be made the following day. On June 14, a deposit was made at NWE’s bank in Atmore for $1,557.10. “The difference in the amount to be deposited and the amount actually deposited could not be explained,” the report notes.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said numerous attempts were made by phone and in person by the investigator to contact Pugh with no result, until she returned contact on March 7, 2023. Pugh’s statements to law enforcement were redacted from the warrant affidavit.
According to the school’s website, Pugh is an English 2 teacher at Northview High School. None of the charges are related to her employment, Northview High School, or the school district.
“We have been made aware of this situation and are proceeding with our normal disciplinary procedures, in accordance with statute,” Escambia County Public Schools spokesman Cody Strother told NorthEscambia.com. “Without commenting on any specific case, generally, the process would be a suspension with pay, pending an investigation, and then a suspension without pay. All of this, however, would be based on the outcome of any investigation.”
Editor’s note: Northwest Escambia Little League is not affiliated with Northwest Escambia (NWE) Football & Cheer at Bradberry Park.
Comments
31 Responses to “NWE Little League Treasurer Charged With Grand Theft, Fraud”
Man I’m tired everyone saying she is a teacher maybe she needs it. He’ll I need it to but I’m not stealing from lil kids. Free nothing she has destroyed a sports program that has come a long way and alot parents have dedicated their time and sources for free. Hope justice is served!
Used the ATM 25 times.
Aw man can’t finish hamlet. Another escambia county L. #freemisspugh
All Florida Drug Course are charges for when you get your driving license.
I guess the “library books” aren’t the only thing students need to worry about.
Gotta wonder what are ALL the circumstances involved in this womans actions.
There’s always more to things than the first reports reveal.
Her trial, if there is one, will be the time for full disclosure.
In NO Way Taking up for her, don’t know her from Adam’s housecat.
Just wondering what prompted this violation of trust for so many victims.
Wow that’s pitiful that she could be so low down and steal
From our children with no remorse. Then got the nerve to be school teacher lol this should be the reason she’s not allowed to teach or allowed to work with or around money period
As a student who listens to her praise god, she better hope God forgives her for this. It will be a good day in English class. #dontfreemrspugh
A thief that will steal from children. That is her profile and hers alone to correct. Lady, you better pray and mean it.
I am so very shocked! This woman was raised in the church, trained in the way a child should go. Yes we ALL have sinned, still do sin, will continue to sin, & fall very short of God’s glory & He STILL loves us & accepts us.
I’m sure her parents are disappointed in her but love her none the less.
I have a question though: what are the charges for All FL Drug Course about?
Was someone getting help with a drug problem with this stolen money?
Oh my, I went to school with Star. She was a smart and brilliant girl and I hope and pray things work out for her. We all make mistakes in life. Lord knows I’ve made mistakes and I paid for my actions with jail time back in the early 90s. My crimes were petty but they were crimes nonetheless and I learned it wasn’t worth it.
Betrayer of trust at every level.
Educator. Likely, will be protected by her union, too.
If convicted: Jail. Restitution twofold. (Futile, I know, she’d never pay it). Terminate employment, revoke certificate.
Plain and simple she is a thief. Her greed has caused difficulty for the organization and ruined her career and life. She knew what she was doing
This woman was my 1st period English teacher but this woman always taking about obey rules and talked about god but this woman clearly wasn’t about that I guess
M in Bratt,if you had read the article you would have seen NWE won a tournament that generated 10,000.00 dollars plus,every child in the organization pays x amount just to be able to play,they sell doughnuts, raffle tickets, cake sells,so that M,is how an organization like this has that amount of money until someone starts using it like it belongs to her…
Right is right and wrong is wrong….yall saying free ms.pugh well to me yall aint no better lord people like her dont teach yall right uts NOT HER MONEY and im sure your mom&dads taught yall that so use it in your brain….she’s stealing from OUR my kids my grandkids my kids. Kids so grow up..she know the truth so tell her to pray on that…and yall do the same for her….
get her away from the kids. BAD person to be around children. free nothing shes got to earn her way. parents stand up!
So this park isn’t as broke as they made us believe for the last few years?! Investigators may need to look a little deeper on this money situation.
M, if you’ll think back we had a little thing called Covid going on at this time. Many families had paid their park fees for their children to play ball and then ball was shut down and parks closed. Parents had been assured by the park that their money would be there when the parks opened back up. Now Parents know the real truth why the money wasn’t there!
My grandchildren weren’t able to play the next season because the money was gone! Parents need to be paid back!
Makes me sick to know my grandchildren had their season stolen by their older siblings teacher.
We all have fallen short and we will continue to do. I do not know this woman personally but I do know here through affiliations. This humility I pray will draw here near to the lord. Those without sin cast the first stone!
Keeping Mrs Pugh and her family in our prayers.
This situation brings several questions to mind; What in the world is a group like this doing accumulating this much money? What in the world is a group like this doing having a bunch of debit cards in circulation? What in the world is a group like this doing operating with a single signature checking account? How in the world did this go on for so long without another officer in the club or a member noticing.
This same situation arises more frequently than we would think in churches and civic organizations because lax accounting procedures work to tempt would be thieves.
I was taught that money where I work is just like monopoly money.
It stays with the game board It is not spendable cash.
It is where my paycheck will come from so it is my job to protect the funds.
To use any of it is to insure being fired.
We all need extra cash but most of us learn to save or do without.
What was important enough to steal for? Her reputation was all she had. Now what?
free Mrs.Pugh till it’s backwards she ain’t do nothin wrong
Teachers barley make anything. Maybe she needed it. FreeMrs.Pugh.
Ah…but we do know “the depths of some people” mnon – Jeremiah 17:9
John, liars and cheats come in many forms.
I can’t believe this happend. I never thought a person thats teaching my kids could do this
WOW! Stealing from kids…shame on you lady! Of course, you know from previous stories like this – you’ll get a slap on the wrist and just be responsible to pay it back…no big deal, right?
Stealing from children.. for shame… Just goes to show, you never know the depths of some people.
She should be suspended indefinitely from teaching our kids.