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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - It’s a high school band bombshell in Osceola County -- parents and students are learning the volunteer treasurer for the St. Cloud High School Band’s Booster Club has been arrested. Police say she misused the club’s debit card dozens of times
St. Cloud Police say the suspect, Lora Gordon, has bonded out of jail after being arrested on grand theft charges. They say this remains an active and open investigation. Police say a surveillance image shows Gordon, 43, using the booster club’s debit card for her own personal use. Detectives say bank records show she did it at least 68 times.
“She did not deny it," said Sgt. Denise Roberts with the St. Cloud Police Department. "However, when she was shown video surveillance of different transactions, she did admit she was the person who conducted those transactions.”
Police say Gordon’s debit card purchases totaled about $5,300. Sgt. Roberts adds, “Some of the transactions were clothing, alcohol purchase, gas purchase, lottery tickets. She even used it to pay a traffic fine ticket.“
Police say this was Gordon’s second year as the club’s treasurer, even though her child already graduated from the high school. Parents attending an event at the school Wednesday night were surprised to hear about the arrest.
Police say the money Gordon used for herself was supposed to be used for band members. Sgt. Roberts points out, “It’s unfortunate, because this was their fundraising money.”
Police say the debit card charges they’ve investigated were from November of 2015 through April of this year. They will go back and look at debit card charges from earlier last year.
The Osceola County School District sent us a statement. It says, “It is a very unfortunate incident for the students and the outstanding band program at St. Cloud High. We do want people to know that this was an organization that operated outside of the school, and that no money was run through the school's accounts. In addition, Ms. Gordon was not a school district employee.”