NAACP ASSISTANT PLEADS GUILTY TO $30K THEFT

Funds Diverted to Splurges on Personal Items

Atlanta- A former administrative assistant with the Atlanta Branch of the NAACP has pled guilty to a single felony count of Theft by taking for stealing tens of thousands of the dollars from the civic organization. Following plea proceedings in Fulton County Superior Court this afternoon, Saundra Douglas, was sentenced to ten years probation and ordered to pay $31,000 in restitution to the organization.

The theft occurred over a period of five years between 2003 and 2008. Douglas altered company paperwork to order credit cards in her name which she then used to purchase make-up, clothing, furniture and pay for higher education costs. She then used NAACP funds to pay the balances on those cards. NAACP leadership, suspicious funds were being used inappropriately, reported the case to the District Attorney’s Office in 2009 for investigation. After an exhaustive investigation, Saundra Douglas was indicted on June 7, 2011. Judith Hanson, former Executive Director of the organization pled guilty in June to a misdemeanor charge of theft by taking in connection with the case.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Shondeana Morris, head of the Public Integrity Unit with assistance from Benjie Fennell, Director of Public Integrity Investigations.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov