NEWTON  — A former employee with the Newton Chamber of Commerce has been charged with stealing from the organization.
Harvey County Prosecutor David Yoder says 43-year-old Kayla Tillery was charged Wednesday with forgery and theft. The former Great Bend resident is accused of forging a $5,500 check in the name of the Chamber of Commerce and with stealing more than $25,000 from the Chamber’s “Newton Bucks” program. “Newton Bucks” can be used like cash and are part of a program encouraging residents to shop locally.
KAKE-TV reported that Tillery has served prison sentences for forgery, theft and criminal use of a financial card in Kansas and in Arizona. She was hired by the chamber in 2012 and terminated Feb. 28.
The Kansas Department of Corrections website shows that in 2005 and 2006, Tillery was convicted of more than a dozen crimes in Barton County, including identity theft, criminal use of a financial card and forgery.
She was also convicted of attempted forgery in Pawnee County, and forgery and theft in Reno County. She was discharged from the Kansas Department of Corrections in 2009.
Tillery was booked into the Harvey County Detention Center in lieu of $50,000 bond. Her preliminary hearing is set for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28.