NEWS: 2 employees suspected in theft of $500,000 from foundation

[Murray Charters <Murray_Charters@xxxxxxxxx>]

Published Tuesday, February 6, 2001, in the Miami Herald
2 employees suspected in theft of $500,000 from foundation
BY ELAINE DE VALLE
edevalle@xxxxxxxxxx
Two employees of the National Parkinson Foundation, either working
together or independently, are suspected of stealing more than a half a
million dollars from the foundation.
The $516,000 in missing funds translates into nearly 4 percent of the
Miami-based nonprofit's annual $13.6 million budget.
The organization's insurance provider will replace the funds, officials
said.
A detective with Miami Police's economic crimes unit is investigating
and has subpoenaed several foundation documents, said department
spokesman Delrish Moss. Neither police nor foundation officials would
reveal the employees' names because they have yet to be charged with a
crime.
Both employees were involved in the paying of invoices. One employee,
who worked in the rehabilitation division, resigned last July, said
foundation administrator Julian Pearson. Two months later, a staff
member discovered another theft, and a woman who worked in the
National Parkinson Foundation office in Miami was fired, Pearson said.
The thefts have been traced back to the summer of 1999, he said.
It is unknown if the alleged embezzlers worked together, Pearson said,
adding that police still have not determined if anyone else is implicated.
At least $47,500 has been returned by the employee who resigned, said
President Herbert Zemel and Foundation Chairman Nathan Slewett.
The other employee, who was fired after discovery of the theft, had been
with the foundation at least eight years, said Zemel. ``Everything we
have points to this employee. We can't figure any other possibility.''
The fired worker, a woman described by Zemel as ``a trusted employee,''
would present checks for payment of invoices that had already been
paid months earlier, Zemel said. ``Not realizing that we already paid the
bill, we would pay it again.''
The second checks -- some made out to corporations and governments --
 were cashed at a local market, he added.
Zemel said the board was initially concerned the theft would affect
donations. Slewett called foundation benefactors and supporters
immediately after the theft to assure them that steps were being taken to
correct the situation.
It is important not to lose funding now, Slewett said, because
researchers are on the brink of discovering the causes of the
devastating neurological disease.
To further reassure donors' confidence, officials also hired a forensic
accountant who made recommendations for additional security
measures. Pearson said there are new checks and balances.
``We are a small organization, so we had to change activities or
functions of people,'' he explained. ``Before the person writes the check,
it has to be approved by me. I didn't do it before. Now, after they are
written, they go to a controller for a final check. Then they are sent to
the people who sign the checks and they are mailed out by another
party. . . . It's a safe process now.''



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