Former PTA president indicted on fraud, theft charges
By Chuck Morris
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NASHVILLE (WSMV) — A former Parent Teacher Association president at a Nashville school has been indicted on fraud and theft charges, according to the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.
Tiffany Bell was formerly PTA president at AZ Kelley Elementary School. Investigators determined that Bell stole at least $5,589.18 from the PTA. All of the money was stolen between May and August 2017.
The investigation began after Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and PTA officials reported unauthorized transactions to the Comptroller’s Office.
Bell resigned as PTA president in November 2017 after she was questioned by other parents about the unusual activity in the PTA account over the summer.
Investigators said Bell stole the money by using the PTA’s debit card to make ATM cash withdrawals totaling at least $4,720. An additional $869.18 was spent when Bell used the debit card to make purchases, which included groceries and other personal items from retailers like Walmart, Kmart and Family Dollar.
In July 2017, Bell deposited $150 of her own money into the PTA bank account; however, a cash shortage of $5,439.18 remained. The AZ Kelley PTA is no longer active.
Investigators are also questioning $271.71 that was used to purchase items from Amazon during the summer of 2017. PTA officials regularly made purchases from Amazon for legitimate purposes. Investigators and PTA officials could not determine if these Amazon purchases were used exclusively for the benefit of the PTA.
Bell was indicted in June 2021 by the Davidson County Grand Jury on one count of theft over $2,500 and one count of fraudulent use of a credit card over $2,500.
“Although this organization is no longer active, lessons can be learned from this case,” Comptroller Jason Mumpower said in a news release. “School support organizations must ensure they provide adequate oversight over all collections and maintain supporting documentation, such as invoices or receipts, for all expenditures.”
A court date has not been set for Bell.
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