The former business manager of an at-risk youth program pleaded guilty Friday in federal court on charges she stole more than $42,000 from the program.
The woman, 45-year-old Donna Barrett from Hampton, faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud.
According to reports, Barrett was business manager for the Commonwealth’s Challenge Program, which is a live-in boot camp for at-risk youth at Camp Pendelton in Virginia Beach. It is funded by the state of Virginia as well as the Department of Defense.
She stole the money from between 2006 and 2009 by writing checks for personal use from the program’s bank account. She also obtained a scholarship by claiming her daughter was an alumnus of the program, when, in fact, her daughter never attended it.
Barrett is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12.