Eugene woman admits embezzling from education nonprofit

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A Eugene woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $200,000 from a nonprofit that promotes career and technical education programs for Oregon high school and community college students.

The Register-Guard reports (https://goo.gl/benc6t ) 74-year-old Thelma Clemons pleaded guilty to wire fraud Wednesday related to her attempt to cover up thefts that she carried out over a seven-year period.

A plea agreement calls for her to receive probation. An attorney says Clemons has paid back $100,000 and will make her best effort to raise the remainder.

Clemons served as executive secretary of the Salem-based Oregon Association for Career and Technical Education, now known as Oregon ACTE, Inc., until the thefts were discovered last year.

The organization’s president, Ed Woods, told the newspaper that according to bank records, the embezzled funds were used for vacations, groceries and other expenses.

___

Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com