Staff Reports
Niagara Gazette
May 14, 2008 05:58 pm
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A Gasport woman has been charged with fabricating a robbery in order to cover up the fact that she spent bingo funds from the Hartland Volunteer Fire Company.
Lee A. Smith, 46, 7542 Ridge Road, was charged Tuesday afternoon with third-degree falsely reporting an incident. Smith is the bingo chairwoman for the fire hall.
On Monday she called police to report that while she was carrying a deposit bag with $8,650 to the Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union on Stevens Street about 3:30 p.m. when a man on a bicycle grabbed the bag from her shoulder and rode off.
Police searched the area for the suspect but were unable to locate the bicyclist.
Detective Lt. John Yotter said he interviewed Smith and she told him there had not been a robbery.
“She admitted to me during interrogation that she made the whole thing up and she spent all the money,” Yotter said.
She said she was afraid to tell the fire company that she’d spent the money.
Smith was released on her own recognizance and pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Lockport City Court. She is due again in court May 28.
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