Nonprofit Embezzlement 101: who controls the money, steals the money.
Bullard, TX:
Unaccounted donations (not subject to federal income taxes) floating around are just too tempting for even licensed educators with Master's Degrees. 46-year old academic advisor Misty Kathleen Adair was recently booked and released on $60K bond for stealing from the Youth For Agriculture Buyers Group. Adair is the volunteer account manager of the local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides grants and scholarships to high school students studying farm management. Her charges include theft of property and misappropriation of funds from the organization, both State felonies. (Source: KETK) Adair has worked with several East Texas school districts at the upper echelon for the last 20 years, including as New Summerfield ISD's head counselor and sponsor for the district's Honor Society volunteer fund raisers. (Source: Daily Progress) As predictable as the sun rising in the morning, Cherokee County news outlets neglect to report Misty Adair's arrest and incarceration in neighboring Smith County, despite her employment at New Summerfield ISD. The Jacksonville Daily Progress reports all her school fund raisers, but not when she gets arrested for stealing. In fact, they try to scrub her employment history. What happens in a small town, stays in a small town, unless of course the crime occurs across the county line.
As a footnote, Misty Adair was arrested again by Henderson County authorities and booked in Smith County jail on June 17, 2022 for allegedly stealing from a second separate nonprofit organization. (Source: Bullard woman accused of theft, misapplying funds for a second organization, KETK)
On Thursday April 18, 2023, Misty Adair was sentenced in Smith County to 4 years probation + restitution after pleading guilty early in March to the theft of over $7000 from the Youth For Agriculture Buyers Group nonprofit. She was also indicted the same day in Henderson County for stealing $2000 from the same nonprofit's Athens, TX office. (Source: Bullard woman sentenced to probation for theft from youth nonprofit, indicted for similar charge in Henderson County, KETK)
