Ex-CASA official’s fate up to jurors

Deliberations began Wednesday evening in the federal trial of a former Kootenai County resident accused of misusing a nonprofit organization’s debit card.

Rhonda Richardson, former executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates, was accused of bringing the organization – which represents abused and neglected children in North Idaho in court – to the brink of financial ruin.

The trial came to a close Wednesday afternoon after nearly 2 1/2 days of testimony by more than a dozen witnesses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Breitsameter described in closing how Richardson rejected a debit card sent to the organization by one financial institution, saying in a letter how the card would bypass the internal controls the board had adopted.

Breitsameter said Richardson went on, three months later, to request a debit card from Washington Trust Bank.

“That was not done by mistake,” he said. “It was done intentionally and in violation of the trust the board had placed in her.”

He accused Richardson of trying to blame others for the purchases she’s charged with making.

“The defendant used that debit card for her personal benefit,” he said. “No one else.”

Eighteen transactions Richardson was charged with making – from September 2003 to June 2004 – were brought up in court. Though Richardson was not charged criminally for an additional 10 transactions allegedly made in Idaho, Breitsameter mentioned the purchases.

“It shows a consistent pattern of using CASA funds for her own benefit,” he said. “On each occasion she violated the trust the board of directors had placed in her.”

He said board members were unaware Richardson had a debit card.

There were instances where she allegedly got cash back on purchases, he said. Breitsameter said there was no evidence that anyone other than Richardson knew the account’s pin number.

The federal indictment alleges Richardson, formerly known as Rhonda Naylor, of spending CASA funds on souvenirs, shoes, clothing, airline tickets and gifts for her relatives.

She was also charged with providing false information to an FBI agent – saying clothes she purchased at a Boise clothing store weren’t for herself, but instead for an overweight child served through CASA.

Federal Defender Kathleen Moran described CASA as a “fine organization,” but said “things were not well-organized.”

She said the prosecution didn’t prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Richardson committed the crimes with which she was accused. A lack of receipts and proof that Richardson had signed for purchases supported a not-guilty finding, Moran said.

Board members testified, Moran said, that members of the organization did not completely understand the policies and procedures that Richardson was accused of violating.

Those policies don’t say debit cards aren’t allowed, Moran said. And she said the policies and procedures of the organization aren’t “law.”

“Not being authorized is not the same as being fraud,” Moran said.

She also questioned why Richardson, if she was carrying out a scheme to defraud CASA, would have the bank statements sent to the CASA office.

The defense also suggested some witnesses may have had biases, and it was possible others could have accessed the debit card to make purchases.

As for the charge that Richardson lied to an FBI agent, Moran said it was possible that Richardson didn’t clearly recall the clothing purchase. By the time the FBI attempted to interview Richardson, in early 2006, a year and a half had passed, Moran said.

“Someone saying, ‘I don’t remember’ shouldn’t seem that shocking,” she said.