Woman must repay $68,000 stolen from fire department
When she gets out of jail, the former treasurer of the Winfield Township Volunteer Fire Department will have to pay back nearly $68,000 she stole from the organization.
Jodie Lynn Undercuffler, 38, of Jefferson Township pleaded guilty to felony counts of forgery and theft and was sentenced Thursday by Butler County Judge William Shaffer.
Her sentence, as part of a plea arrangement with prosecutors, is 9 to 18 months in the county prison followed by 5 years of probation.
During that time, Undercuffler must pay the fire department $280, and the department’s insurance company $67,605.
Investigators said Undercuffler began skimming money from the department in November 2013, almost as soon as she started in the volunteer position of treasurer. Before assuming that post, she was department secretary, organization records showed.
As treasurer, Undercuffler handled the fire department’s financial accounts.
The missing money went undetected until January 2015 when Undercuffler gave up the post and was replaced, documents say.
A standard internal review of the organization’s books and a subsequent audit revealed that she had written checks from the group’s general fund account to herself, police said.
Court records say when Undercuffler was confronted by police she confessed, saying she used the money to pay household bills.
