Dawn Saugen, 38, former PTA treasurer at Manuel Vargas Elementary School [Sunnyvale School District], Sunnyvale, California, "convicted of embezzling more than $35,000 from the Vargas School Parent Teacher Association" Chain Gang Elementary: "She played us all" (Mar 20 2012) Things aren’t so sunny in Sunnyvale these days. PTA treasurer Dawn Saugen at Vargas Elementary School has been arrested and charged with embezzlement and forgery. She’s accused of stealing $21,000 from the organization’s account and using the money to buy gift cards for herself. Other PTA officials reported their suspicions when they noticed the bank account was overdrawn–just after the Silent Auction had been held. Tags:
Wopular: Sunnyvale Pta Treasurer Accused Of Stealing $21,000 (Mar 20 2012) Former PTA treasurer Dawn Saugen, 38, has been charged with embezzlement and forgery in connection with allegedly using the Vargas Elementary School PTA’s bank account to order gift cards for personal use.
Mercury News: Ex-Sunnyvale PTA treasurer to be sentenced Monday for embezzlement (Nov 19 2012) Saugen, 38, has already pleaded no contest to grand theft. Under the terms of the deal, she faces a maximum of a year in jail, deputy district attorney Paola Estanislao said. As part of the deal that dropped a forgery charge, Saugen agreed to pay at least $30,000 in restitution to the Parent Teacher Association. Saugen became the Vargas PTA treasurer when her niece, who was in fourth grade, attended the school in 2011-12. From August through January, Saugen purchased gift cards, ostensibly for PTA fundraisers. She would intercept the PTA mail in the school office, then later had the cards shipped directly to her Palo Alto home. The cards came from popular retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target and Nordstrom. She even arranged to get cards from American Airlines. In opening a debit account with a fundraising gift-card company, she forged then-PTA President Maria Dulay's signature.
Mercury News: Sentencing postponed for treasurer who stole from Sunnyvale PTA (Nov 19 2012) Sentencing for Dawn Saugen, who pleaded no contest to stealing $30,000 from Vargas Elementary School's Parent Teacher Association, has been postponed until Dec. 5.
Chain Gang Elementary: PTSD defense doesn’t work for PTA embezzler (Nov 20 2012) She claimed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder although she never served in combat when she was in the military. Her husband decided to divorce her after she ripped him off. Her family says she’s been stealing from people who trusted her for many years, and they’re showing up to present evidence at her sentencing hearing.
Mercury News: Ex-treasurer sentenced to jail, order to repay $37,346 to Sunnyvale PTA (Dec 6 2012) Dawn Saugen, the former PTA treasurer convicted of embezzling more than $35,000 from the Vargas School Parent Teacher Association, was sentenced Wednesday to eight months in county jail and three years of probation. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kurt Kumli also ordered Saugen to seek psychological counseling and to refrain from any paid or volunteer work involving financial matters, according to Deputy District Attorney Paola Estanislao ... As part of the deal, a forgery charge was dropped and Saugen agreed to pay the Sunnyvale school PTA restitution, which was set Wednesday at $37,345.72 .
Mercury News: Sunnyvale: Former Vargas Elementary PTA treasurer sentenced to jail (Dec 27 2012) After suffering a painful blow in early 2012, the Vargas Elementary School will receive some restitution.On Dec. 5, Dawn Saugen, the Vargas PTA's former treasurer, was sentenced to eight months in county jail on embezzlement charges and was ordered to repay $37,345.72 ... Saugen, 38, was ordered to begin her jail sentence on Jan. 2. She will also be on three years' probation. She could be released after four months with good behavior, Estanislao said.
