Pennsylvania Scout Leader Charged: Heather Belford Accused Of Stealing $10,000 From Scout Troop

A Pennsylvania scout leader has been charged after allegedly stealing $10,000 from her Girl Scout troop. According to Fox News, Heather Belford was arrested after being accused of taking money from the troop using an ATM bank card and making personal purchases with the cash.

“Police say the 30-year-old Lansdale woman used a Cub Scouts bank card to withdraw cash and make personal purchases totaling $3,411 last spring. They say she ran a similar scheme using a Girl Scouts card and made unauthorized withdrawals and purchases transactions totaling $7,318.”

The Pennsylvania scout leader was charged with theft and receiving stolen property. According to ABC 7, the Girl Scout troops affected by the stolen money are in need of help replenishing their financial resources. The prosecution has asked for donations to replace the money that was stolen by Belford. It is unknown if she will be forced to repay the money to the troop if she is found guilty.

Stealing from scouts doesn’t seem like a common thing, but apparently something similar has happened in the past. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, thieves stole $200 from Girl Scouts in a Walmart parking lot back in 2012. At the time, two girls were selling cookies outside a Walmart in Houston when a man walked up to them and inquired about the cookies. Rather than purchase a box or two, however, the man stole the cash that the girls had raised.

“The thief ran to his getaway car and the girls chased after him. One of those girl Rachel Johnson says the thieves tried to run her and her fellow Girl Scout Iravia Cotton over with their Toyota Camry however Iravia was able to get in a few hits on the boy before the car pulled away,” reported the Inquisitr.

It is unknown if police ever caught that thief. At the time of the report, there was some speculation that the girls were going to be held accountable for the stolen money. It is unknown how old the girls were, or if there was an adult present at the time of the theft. Of course, having a stranger steal money is completely different than having someone “trustworthy” who is supposed to be a role model do something unthinkable like this… and $200 doesn’t compare to $10,000 either.

The Pennsylvania scout leader who was charged was freed on $5,000 bail. She is due in court on February 4. It’s unknown what sort of punishment she is facing.

[Photo courtesy of dbTechno]