GOLDEN, Colo. — A woman has been charged after she was accused of stealing or misappropriating more than $58,000 from a school PTO.
Jessica Tafoya, 36, was charged with theft of funds from the Jefferson Academy Parent Teacher Organization. Tafoya, who lives in Arvada, served as the treasurer of the organization between 2015 and 2017.
Jefferson Academy is a K-12 charter school in northern unincorporated Jefferson County.
In November 2017, new officers of the PTO reached out to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office over concerns regarding their financial records. They had found discrepancies in the paperwork during the period when Tafoya was treasurer.
Tafoya is accused of stealing or misappropriating more than $58,000 from the PTO, according to the arrest affidavit. She was the only authorized user on the PTO bank accounts and had a debit card on the accounts. Authorities found unauthorized ATM withdrawals, underpaid invoices and transactions between the PTO’s accounts and her personal accounts.
A warrant for her arrest was issued on Dec. 28 and she turned herself in on Jan. 4.
She was charged with one count of theft of $20,000-$100,000, which is a fourth-degree felony.
Tafoya posted bond and is due in court this week.
