Girl Scout Leader Stole Cookie Money to Play Blackjack
A Girl Scout troop leader in the town of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, is currently on probation for stealing $8,214.22 from her troop. Joleen Hopkins, 54, used the money to play blackjack at a local casino, to pay bills, and to buy sports equipment for her daughters. She also spent the stolen money at auto parts stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations.
The money Hopkins stole came from proceeds generated from the young Girl Scouts selling cookies around the neighborhood. In November 2005, Hopkins and her husband volunteered to manage cookie sales money. She took the money by writing checks from the troop’s bank account, which she had direct access to. Hopkins has been charged with six counts of theft, three of which are felony charges. She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
“Certainly, this is one of those cases that is just appalling that a volunteer would steal money from their girls,” said Barbara Boelk, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Minnesota. Hopkins’ actions eventually lead to the breakup local Girl Scout Troop 51333.
The moral here should be obvious: people who want to play blackjack are more than welcome to do so, but they should try to use their own money, not steal it from children. Perhaps if Hopkins had played online blackjack instead, where table limits are lower than at most casinos, she would not have stolen quite as much cookie money.
