75-year-old sorority treasurer stole $3M from Mississippi university chapter, feds say
.jpg "A former Kappa Delta sorority treasurer at Mississippi State University stole nearly $3 million from its local chapter and is going to prison, prosecutors say.")
A former sorority treasurer stole nearly $3 million from Kappa Delta’s chapter at Mississippi State University over the course of several years, federal prosecutors say.
Now Betty Jane Cadle, 75, of Oxford is going to federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Sorority representatives testified at Cadle’s sentencing hearing about how she had bullied the organization’s members “and maintained an attitude of superiority” to divert questions about the chapter’s money, a Sept. 20 news release from the office says.
At the Sept. 16 hearing, a judge sentenced Cadle to 45 months — or nearly 4 years — in federal prison for wire fraud after stealing $2.9 million from the Kappa Delta Sorority House Corp., according to prosecutors.
McClatchy News contacted Cadle’s attorney for comment on Sept. 20 and is awaiting a response.
Beginning in 2012 through 2019, Cadle volunteered as Kappa Delta’s treasurer at Mississippi State University where she swindled the chapter’s funds in order to support herself and her business financially, the news release says.
Kappa Delta chapter volunteers are typically alumni members of the organization or a member of the chapter advisory board, according to the organization’s national website.
As treasurer, Cadle was in charge of collecting sorority dues from its members, buying items for the chapter house, filing the chapter’s taxes and more at Mississippi State, court documents state.
Cadle began stealing the sorority’s money for her personal expenses, including for her children’s clothing store she owned alongside her daughter in Oxford called Belles and Beaus, according to court documents.
She did so by writing checks from the sorority chapter’s bank account to her own bank account as well as her business’ account, court documents state.
Belles and Beaus in Oxford is now permanently closed.
“(Cadle) abused her position of trust and authority by stealing money she was entrusted with for her own personal gain,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said in a statement.
U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ordered Cadle to pay $2,940,853.80 in restitution at her sentencing hearing, according to the release.
McClatchy News contacted Kappa Delta inquiring whether Cadle is an alumni of the organization and is awaiting a response.
Kappa Delta has more than 275,000 members nationwide.
Oxford is about 160 miles north of Jackson.
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 2:08 PM with the headline "75-year-old sorority treasurer stole $3M from Mississippi university chapter, feds say."
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