McCallum sentenced in GPRC/Peerless theft ….

After a yearlong process, Jolene McCallum pleaded guilty to theft from Golden Plains Recreation Center and was sentenced in Phillips County District Court on Tuesday, April 20.

GPRC is a nonprofit doing business as the Peerless Theatre/Center. McCallum, 55, served as a GPRC board member and was handling some employee responsibilities as well.

Through a plea agreement tentatively adopted in court March 16, McCallum pleaded guilty to theft, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The district attorney’s office, represented by Steven Crague, in accepting the plea on behalf of the people (GPRC), agreed to dismiss three original counts, with restitution being part of the agreement.

The dismissed counts included unauthorized use of a financial transaction device, a Class 5 felony; forgery 2, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and obtaining a signature by deception, a Class 2 misdemeanor.

As part of the plea agreement, McCallum agreed to pay half of the restitution on the date of sentencing and the other half later.

A restitution hearing was to precede the sentencing last week but was postponed until a later date due to a disputed $3,000 requested in the restitution.

Excluding the $3,000, the restitution total was close to $23,400. That included approximately $11,360 actually taken from GPRC and $12,040 for costs for a forensic audit and legal fees.

McCallum paid $11,100 the day of sentencing and was scheduled to pay another $700 Friday, April 23, to cover approximately half of the original figure for restitution.

Sentencing includes probation, jail time

In addition to restitution requirements, District Judge Stephanie Gagliano sentenced McCallum to 60 months (five years) probation, as well as 60 days in jail. The judge did not assess any additional fines.

The jail sentence was to begin Saturday, April 24, at 9 a.m. for the weekend. The sentence can be served as work release, weekends Friday evening through Sunday evening until the 60-day sentence is met, or 60 days straight.

During the sentencing hearing last week, GPRC board member Cathy Edge and former Peerless manager Sherry Simms both expressed concern for the trust that has been broken.

Simms emphasized that it’s the entire community that was stolen from, and this theft from the nonprofit, GPRC, hurts everyone.

McCallum expressed her regrets and apologies for the damage her actions caused the GPRC board and the theater community. During the hearing, she also cited the hard work that she devoted to the theater, saying she took a lot of pride in it.

Gagliano noted that the loss to the community can’t be quantified by a number amount. She cited that McCallum’s statement shows she still seems to want to point out that her good deeds outweigh the bad.

But the one great act of the theft undoes the many good things done, Gagliano emphasized.

The judge expressed that the lack of a deadline or timeline for the remainder of restitution is a concern of the court.

She added that McCallum’s lack of criminal history and the fact she’s been a member of the community were taken into consideration.

Citing that the 60-month period of probation is lengthy, Gagliano noted it was set for the seriousness of the monetary loss, for the trust factor breached and for the safety of the community.

During the hearing, McCallum’s attorney, Edward Pabst, expressed concern for McCallum’s potential loss of her insurance license in the state of Colorado.

Gagliano said the court takes that information as an additional and appropriate consequence for the action McCallum took against GPRC.

GPRC board sets up new procedures

Following last week’s hearing, GPRC board president Jeff Michael, on behalf of the board, noted appreciation to the community for their patience and continued support during this difficult time.

He said that in April of 2020, it was discovered that the funds of GPRC were possibly being misappropriated for McCallum’s personal gain. She was a board member and employee at the time.

Following a forensic audit, it was verifiable that funds had been misappropriated between May 2018 and February 2020, Michael said.

“After attempting to recoup the funds taken by resolving the matter privately with Ms. McCallum, we had little choice other than to seek prosecution on this matter,” Michael said. “The board has a fiduciary duty to the donors and community that compelled moving forward,” he added.

“Since that time, the GPRC has worked diligently to install new checkpoints, policies and procedures at every level, working closely with professional accountants, insuring that a situation like this does not repeat itself in the future,” Michael emphasized.

“We regret that this took place under our watch and sincerely apologize for our negligence,” he added. “However, we remain committed to the vision of the GPRC and look forward to building a stronger foundation moving forward with the lessons we have learned.”

Moving forward, Michael said GPRC remains committed to complete transparency — both good and bad.

“We would like to thank the members of the community for the respect, privacy and patience we received as we worked through the legal process.”

“Most certainly, we want to express our sincere gratitude to our donors for their understanding and continued support,” Michael said.

“We look forward to building a stronger foundation as we continue to learn and grow together,” he added.