An Indianapolis woman is wanted in Johnson County after police say she stole more than $26,000 from a local camp she was formerly the executive director of.
Alysia Caldwell, 34, is charged with two counts of theft of between $750 and $50,000. She could face up to five years in jail if convicted.
A CHAMP Camp board member reported to police in February that between December 2019 and January of this year, Caldwell had used camp funds to pay her mortgage, rent, internet, phone and utility bills, and had also made payments to a collection agency, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 2.
Caldwell ran the Greenwood nonprofit, which provides outdoor summer camps for children and adolescents who have tracheotomies and require respiratory assistance, for three years — between January 2018 and January of this year, when she was let go due to funding restraints, according to court documents.
Using camp funds, Caldwell paid her mortgage 11 times totaling nearly $18,000. She made six payments to a property management group totaling $4,700, and nine payments to an internet and phone provider totaling $1,500. She also used camp funds at retail stores, restaurants and gas stations, court documents show.
When the board reached out to Caldwell about the missing funds, she told them she had made a mistake and accidentally paid her mortgage with the wrong account and would transfer it back within days. A few days later, she told police she was aware of the situation and was working to correct it. She also told police she had transferred the money back and that it would be available within 24 to 48 hours. That was in February. As of October, Caldwell had not made any deposits or transfers to the camp’s bank account, according to court documents.
Greenwood police spent the spring and summer subpoenaing and compiling information from all the companies involved about the fraudulent transactions, court documents show.
Prosecutors filed charges Oct. 19, and a warrant was issued for Caldwell’s arrest on Oct. 21. As of Wednesday, she had not been arrested. An initial hearing is set for Nov. 17, according to online court records.
