LOWELL — The woman at the heart of an embezzlement scandal that led to the dismantling of a group for special-needs children in Tewksbury walked out of court on Friday and will serve no jail time.
But “the trust has been broken in the community” and its now difficult to raise money for such programs, said Erin Knyff, president of Liam Nation, which took over for the defunct Friends of Special Education Kids.
Lashanta Magnusson, 35, of Tewksbury, FOSEK’s former treasurer, pleaded guilty to embezzlement by an association officer. She will serve two years of probation, and will pay Liam Nation $3,936 in installments of $164 per month.
Magnusson also must pay $364 in restitution to Boy Scout Troop 41 in an unrelated case. She was accused of stealing money from a troop popcorn sale.
Magnusson admitted using the group’s ATM cards for savings and checking over three years to pay for personal expenses. Beginning in May 2010, court documents show ATM withdrawals or electronic purchases sometimes days apart to pay for gas, car repairs, a car loan, and groceries at Market Basket, Walmart and Pizza Regina. ATM withdrawals were as low as $10, or as much as hundreds of dollars.
Marie Messina, whose husband Vincent headed FOSEK, said the group raised money for four years to provide sports programs to children with special needs. So it was a “sad day” when the theft of the money triggered the demise of the group, she said.
Follow Lisa Redmond on Tout and Twitter@lredmond13_lisa.
