Yaasmin Hooey, Ex-Girl Scout Finance Director, Charged With $310K Embezzlement

Who's Been In The Girl Scouts Cookie Jar?

Former finance director of the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York, Yaasmin Hooey, has been charged with stealing $310,000 from the nonprofit organization known for its nearly ubiquitous cookie sales, NBC reports.

By forging checks and wire transfers, the 35-year-old fraudster, who's worked most recently as a martial arts instructor, used money from the organization to purchase Metro-North railroad tickets and groceries, as well as items including a $13,000 diamond ring and a luxury cruise, the New York Post reports.

And while Hooey appears to have broken the Girl Scouts of the USA's law that says all members "Be honest and fair" and "Responsible for what I say and do," criminal charges of grand larceny and forgery certainly carry much more severe consequences.

"The defendant’s charged crimes not only violated the trust of the Girl Scout organization, but the trust of the girls that the organization serves," Cyrus Vance, Manhattan District Attorney, said in a statement. "The District Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes against nonprofit organizations.”

The episode comes just after the Girl Scouts were recovering from a scandal concerning the use of palm oil in their cookies. After two girl scouts pointed out that palm oil plantations contribute to deforestation and Orangutan abuse in the rain forest, the organization has agreed to reduce its use of palm oil.

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