Columbia volunteer and grandma admits pocketing receipts for 10 years.
By Cindy Stauffer
Published Jan 25, 2006 13:01
Police say she slipped cash into her pocket when she worked as a volunteer cashier at a Columbia fire company’s bingo games, telling officers it was “easy spending money.”
“I know it was stupid, stupid, stupid,” the 50-year-old Columbia woman said in a telephone interview today. “I feel terrible. Yes, I do.”
Columbia Police have charged Creek with taking $280,000 over a 10-year period from the Susquehanna Fire Company, based on an admission she made during an interview with police earlier this month.
But Creek said today, “I said things I shouldn’t have (to police). I know I didn’t take that much money. I’d be living in luxury if it was that much money.”
Creek said she spent the money she did take on credit card bills, things for her four grandchildren and things for herself.
Now she’s hoping to pay the money back to the Manor Street fire company, where she was a volunteer for 30 years, and to put the matter behind her, she said.
“I want to work things out,” said Creek, who works at a local department store and posted $50,000 bail after being charged.
Columbia police were alerted to Creek’s alleged thefts earlier this month when two trustees told them money was being taken from bingo games, according to an affidavit filed at Magisterial District Judge Robert Herman’s Columbia office.
The trustees, Mary Barninger and Henry Reese, told police that Creek was seen and videotaped taking bingo money from the cash register Jan. 13 and putting it in her pocket.
Police watched the videotape, which showed Creek take money two times from the register and conceal it, according to the affidavit.
On Jan. 15, Creek again was watched and videotaped as she took money from the cash register and concealed it, according to the affidavit.
After Creek left the fire company that day, Columbia Police Sgt. Jack Brommer stopped and searched her. He found $390 in her front pants pocket and $22 in her rear pants pocket.
Creek, who lives in the 600 block of Plane Street, admitted to Brommer that the money belonged to the fire company, according to the affidavit.
And during a subsequent interview, Creek told Brommer she had taken the $280,000 over a 10-year period.
“That’s a new fire truck,” Columbia Police Chief Joseph Greenya said today.
Barninger declined to comment on the matter or the impact it had on the fire company, referring questions to the company’s attorney, Donald Nikolaus.
Nikolaus said the fire company is continuing to assess the financial impact of Creek’s alleged thefts.
“That’s a lot of money, though it was over a period of quite a few years,” Nikolaus said. “It certainly would be a substantial effect.”
Prosecutors will handle seeking any restitution, which would be welcomed by the fire company, he said.
Greenya praised fire company officials for cooperating with police on the matter.
“They worked well with us,” he said.
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