Newton PTO Treasurer Stole $14K: Indictment

NEWTON, MA — The former treasurer of the Newton Parent Teacher Organization Council was arrested Thursday in connection with stealing more than $14,000 from the Newton PTO Council, according to Attorney General Maura Healey. She's also accused of participating in a scheme to steal tens of thousands of dollars by making false insurance claims and providing incorrect information on her tax refunds.

Rebeca Craig, 37, most recently of Boston, was indicted by a on 27 counts, including presentation of false claims (10 counts), making a false statement to the tax commissioner (10 counts), submitting a false insurance claim (3 counts), forgery (1 count), and larceny over $250 (3 counts).

While the individual PTOs and the PTO council operates separately from Newton Public Schools and maintain their own non-profit status, Superintendent David Fleishman said he attends several meetings a year to present a superintendent's report to the organization.

He heard about the allegations in 2014, and said the district cooperated with the Attorney General's investigation, as is regular practice, he said.

"Newton PTOs provide invaluable support in our schools and to our district. And so it's really sad when something like this happens given the wonderful work that they do," he told Patch in a phone interview.

The Attorney General's office alleges that Craig, who served as the Treasurer for the Newton PTO Council from 2013 to 2014, funneled $14,593 from the organization to her own personal accounts.

According to the AG's offices, between 2013 through 2018 Craig engaged in various fraudulent schemes and thefts. Several of her alleged schemes involved the submission of falsified or altered documents in support of insurance claims, according to the AG. In addition, the AG’s Office alleges that Craig submitted falsified tax returns, resulting in her receipt of tax refunds totaling $11,318, to which she was not entitled.

The Newton PTO Council, which is separate from the district and is its own non profit, is governed by an executive board which is elected each spring. Members advocate on behalf of schools and children, according to the website.

In addition to dues, each year there's a crafts sale with proceeds donated to the Newton Schools Foundation to benefit all Newton schools.

The treasurer is responsible for the accounts of all funds of PTO Council. They provide regular reports of its finances, prepare the annual budget, prepares filings for federal and state agencies, and assists other Committees as needed relating to financial activity and information. They also oversee data gathering for PTO spending for all schools and prepares related analyses, according to the PTO website.

In April 2014, Craig reported there was $15,428.78 in the PTO account.

"There was an incident with the PTOC Treasurer this past year," reads a note in the minutes of a meeting the following year.

While Fleishman said he isn't part of the council's deliberations he said the council has worked to prevent something like this from happening in the future.

Representatives from the PTO council did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).