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Ex-member of Center Grove PTO pleads guilty to taking funds and gets a year probation

Jennifer Dobbins will serve a year probation
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Posted at 5:12 PM, Jan 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-23 17:49:01-05

JOHNSON COUNTY — A former member of the North Grove Elementary PTO will serve a year of probation as part of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors.

Jennifer Dobbins was charged with conversion, a misdemeanor, for taking $1,400 out of the organization’s checking account.

She pleaded guilty Thursday to conversion, and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Dobbins must also pay $185 in court costs.

“All monies owed had already been paid back prior to the filing of the case,” Johnson County prosecutor Joe Villanueva said.

RTV6 has been unable to reach Dobbins or her attorney for comment.

She is not listed on the North Grove Elementary PTO’s website as a member.

Parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) are typically comprised of parents, teachers and volunteers to help support the school and its students.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s office received a call on Sept. 26 about a possible theft and met with the current president and treasurers of the North Grove Elementary PTO.

The president told deputies that Dobbins had been withdrawing funds in ATM transactions from the North Grove PTO checking account.

A treasurer provided deputies with copies of bank statements showing a withdrawal on Aug. 16 for $500, on Aug. 17 for $500 and on Aug. 28 for $400.

The PTO president, two treasurers and Dobbins had access to the card in question, records show.

The PTO held an emergency meeting on Sept. 4.

Dobbins was questioned about the financial transactions and admitted to taking funds from the PTO fund, court records show.

North Grove Elementary is located within the Center Grove Community School Corporation.