NEW YORK – A top official of the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York, Inc. admitted in court that she stole over $300,000 from the organization by writing checks to herself.  Yaasmin Hooey, 35, pled guilty to grand larceny in the second degree, the most serious charge in the indictment. She is scheduled to be sentenced in New York State Supreme Court on March 6.

“The defendant’s theft from the Girl Scouts, a respected nonprofit organization, is particularly egregious,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. “It was an enormous violation of the trust the Scouts placed in her as their Director of Finance, as well as the trust of the many girls that the organization serves. This Office is committed to aggressively prosecuting dishonest employees of nonprofit organizations.”

According to the plea and documents filed in court, Hooey worked for GSCGNY, based in Manhattan, for more than two years. Among other things, Hooey was responsible for managing the organization’s bank accounts, recording all checks written out of each account, reconciling checking account journals, and inputting all account activity into GSCGNY’s accounting system. She also oversaw payroll operations, setting up wire transfers for payments, printing checks for the CEO to sign, creating financial reports, and preparing the organization’s financial records for yearly audit by an outside company.

Hooey admitted that between September 2008 and December 2010 she stole $311,568 from GSCGNY. She wrote 65 checks to herself out of GSCGNY’s payroll account, totaling $275,979, either cashing the checks or depositing them into her personal checking account.  All of the checks were handwritten and bore the forged signature of the GSCGNY’s then-CEO.  Hooey also issued nine unauthorized wire transfers, totaling $35,606, from two GSCGNY bank accounts into her own personal checking account.

Hooey used the funds from her bank account to pay for everyday expenses such as groceries, Metro-North Railroad tickets, a gym membership, and clothing. She also paid for cosmetic laser procedures, cruises, travel, concert tickets, spent more than $18,000 in restaurants and bars, and purchased a $13,000 diamond ring.