CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Back in 2020, the Nueces County Junior Livestock show made a post on its Facebook page saying, "hats off to this amazing lady behind the scenes. She’s our rock... Renee Chapman thank you in advance for the next couple of weeks."
Sara Renee Chapman worked as a secretary for the organization, but what no one knew about her until recently was that she was using livestock show bank accounts from 2018 to 2023 to pay off her credit card bill to the tune of $172,000.
As part of her job, Chapman had access to the NCJLS bank accounts and was responsible for paying authorized NCJLS expenses. In 2018, Chapman began using the bank accounts to pay her monthly credit card bill and continued for over four years.
Chapman has plead guilty to the charge.
”Breaks your heart really, people you’ve known pretty much your whole life, grew up with, worked with for years and find something out happens like that," NCJLS Consultant, Scott Frazier said. "It really hurts. Kind of kicks you in the gut.”
The money stolen by Chapman did not affect any of the scholarships that the organization hands out each year.
Twelve lucky kids split over $72,000 this year in those monies.
"The show is financially strong," NCJLS Board President Blake Weaver said. "Did it hurt the show? Yeah, but the show is financially strong. It came from operational funds, general funds, it did not affect the kids in anyway. The kids have always been taken care of whether it’s scholarships or animals that go through the sale ring.”
3NEWS wondered what officials have done to keep someone else from stealing money from them in the future.
"Yes, we hired a group to come in that oversees our books, so there’s more eyes on things now and we’re going to have yearly audits done as well where nothing like that can happen again," Weaver said.
Chapman faces not only up to 20 years in a federal prison but could be fined up to $250,000 and have to make full restitution to the NCJLS. Her sentencing is on July 23.