The former employees of the Mineral Wells, Texas club turned themselves in to authorities on February 19, after being indicted the day before for engaging in organized criminal activity for theft of more than $20,000 but less than $100,000, based on an ongoing investigation by the District Attorney’s office.
Three former employees of Holiday Hills Country Club in Mineral Wells, Texas turned themselves in to authorities on February 19 in connection with misappropriation of funds, the Mineral Wells (Texas) Index reported.
The three—Charles Earon Gatlin, Sherry Allison Buchanan and Nicole Belanger—had been indicted by a Palo Pinto grand jury on February 18 for engaging in organized criminal activity for theft more than $20,000 but less than $100,000, said District Attorney Mike Burns. The indictments were based on an ongoing investigation by the DA’s office, the Index reported.
All three are believed to have worked together to take funds from the club, Burns said. The indictments note Gatlin, former club manager, and Buchanan, former bookkeeper, reportedly stole funds from the club from November 2012 to October 2014 and Belanger reportedly worked with them in a scheme to steal the funds from December 2012 to August 2013, the Index reported.
Gatlin and Buchanan were also indicted for tampering with a governmental record, both charges relating to Buchanan allegedly falsifying unemployment documents so Gatlin could receive benefits after a mutual separation agreement with the club, the Index reported.
Gatlin reportedly received approximately $1,500 in illegal benefits, Burns said. Gatlin was arrested February 9 on those charges but was later released on bond. Buchanan was arrested in November and later released on bond for these charges. In addition, Gatlin was arrested, in relation to the DA’s investigation, in November based on a previous indictment for theft between $1,500 and $20,000, the Index reported.
So far the investigation has taken almost a year, Burns said, with a forensic auditor combing almost three years of the club’s extensive books. Burns said the auditor had to reconstruct many of the records that had been destroyed or altered in some way, the Index reported.
The investigation began after Gatlin left his position as club manager in October 2014, when the club alerted law enforcement to Gatlin’s alleged misappropriation of funds. Although the audit of the books was completed earlier this month, the DA’s office is keeping the investigation open because more data has arrived, Burns said, and more charges could be forthcoming, the Index reported.
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