POLK COUNTY, Ga. — A former Georgia nonprofit employee admitted stealing nearly $100,000 from an organization serving abused and neglected children, federal prosecutors said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Jennifer O’Neal, 63, of Cedartown, pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing federal program funds from Court Appointed Special Advocates of Polk & Haralson, or CASA.
O’Neal worked as a program specialist for the nonprofit, where she was responsible for processing payroll and expense reimbursements for staff and volunteers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
From 2018 to 2022, prosecutors said O’Neal repeatedly issued fraudulent payments to herself and others from CASA’s bank accounts.
Some of those payments were disguised as mileage expenses for court appearances or conferences, while others were submitted as reimbursements for restaurants, groceries, utilities and clothing that were supposedly for staff, volunteers or children, according to court information.
Prosecutors said the mileage expenses were inflated or based on trips that never happened.
Other payments allegedly went toward O’Neal’s own personal expenses.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Study names most likely city to ‘panic sell’ if real estate market crashes
- Georgia college soccer player who dreamed of becoming a nurse dies at 19
- Suspected mobile meth lab found during Georgia funeral procession
For example, prosecutors said CASA funds were used to pay O’Neal’s power, water and sewage and cell phone bills.
Some of the money also went toward charges at Six Flags, a Netflix subscription, softball equipment and lingerie, according to prosecutors.
O’Neal also allegedly submitted payments for office supplies that were instead used to buy home theater equipment she installed at her home.
In all, prosecutors said O’Neal stole $96,713 from CASA of Polk & Haralson.
“O’Neal violated her company’s core values, stealing tens of thousands of dollars meant to support the most vulnerable members of our community – abused and neglected children,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.
FBI officials said the theft was not an isolated incident.
“This was not a one-time, spur-of-the-moment decision. Jennifer O’Neal frequently and repeatedly stole from her company for her own personal gain,” said Mitchell Jackson, supervisory senior resident agent in the FBI Atlanta’s Cartersville Office.
O’Neal pleaded guilty to theft of federal program funds.
She is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
