Maple Grove Woman Charged With Theft by Swindle

A Maple Grove woman recently was charged in Hennepin County District Court with one count of theft by swindle from the  in Golden Valley. 

Police say Becky Lynn Heald, 59, of Maple Grove stole “hundreds of thousands of dollars from May 2006 to June 2011 from the VFW by forging checks,” according to the complaint.

A complaint filed by Laura Gould of the provides the following details:

An individual with the VFW reported the organization had installed security cameras in May 2011 “after suspicions arose that an employee was stealing money from the organization’s safe.” At that time, Heald was caught on camera stealing cash from the safe, according to the complaint, which led to a confession of the theft and resignation June 2011. A new bookkeeper was hired.

In October 2011, police say the new bookkeeper discovered several checks drawn from the VFW’s Wells Fargo checking account “suspiciously” written out to the defendant. After further investigation, police “learned that $177,350.64 was stolen from the VFW by way of 141 forged checks,” according to the complaint.

Heald admitted to stealing from the VFW while acting as the organization's bookkeeper, “took full responsibility for the total amount of money stolen,” Gould said in the complaint, “to maintain a gambling addiction.” 

The theft by swindle charges were filed Jan. 19.